Former World War concentration camp to be turned into luxury resort

A former World War II concentration camp in the Adriatic island of Mamula, between Montenegro and Croatia, is set to be turned into a luxury resort.

The area which is dominated by a 19th-century fortress was used as a concentration camp during World War II by occupying Italian troops serving under fascist dictator Benito Mussolini.

About 2,300 were reportedly imprisoned there out of which  130 were killed or starved to death.

Fast forward 70 years later, the Montenegrin government has okayed a project to transform Mamula into a resort, complete with swimming pools, yacht marina, spa, restaurants and dance floor.

Speaking with AFP, Olivera Brajovic, head of Montenegro's national directorate for tourism development said the country was faced with the option of either leaving the site to fall into ruin or find investors who would be willing to restore it and make it accessible to visitors.

Not everyone is pleased about this development however, especially family members of those who were imprisoned or killed there.

Also speaking with AFP, one of said relatives, Olivera Doklestic said:

"To build a luxury hotel dedicated to entertainment at this place where so many people perished and suffered is a blatant example of lack of seriousness towards history, no concentration camp in the world has been transformed into a hotel,"

The Montenegrin government has however defended the move saying the project will boost local economy.