S

o bereft were fans of Game of Thrones when the fantasy drama concluded in April of this year that emergency helplines were set up across the world.

While obsessives took to social media to emote over the show’s finale, for some of the people of Dubrovnik, the denouement was a cause for celebration.

Over the previous eight years, the Croatian city, which perches on the edge of the Adriatic, had been one of Game of Thrones’ main filming locations, standing in as the capital of the Seven Kingdoms. 

Unsurprisingly, the city’s tour guides recognised a cash cow early on, with Game of Thrones walks becoming increasingly popular with visitors. Some have seen it as a mixed blessing, though. Long described as ‘the pearl of the Adriatic’, Dubrovnik’s picturesque setting and laid-back charm has always made it attractive to tourists, who pump millions of Euros into the local economy each year.

However, the added influx has led to cries of overtourism from residents. While home to only 42,000 people, some 1.2 million people descended on the city last year – many of whom arrived on cruise ships. Critics believe crowded streets have come at the expense of the city’s very soul. 

This has also created tension between the authorities of Dubrovnik and the cruise industry, which came to a head last year when mayor Mato Franković announced a cap on the number of ships that could dock at the city’s harbour. Choosing to forego any consultation with cruise lines, Franković promised that only two ships could dock per day, with each allowed to carry a maximum of 5,000 passengers.

One year on, however, tensions appear to be thawing between the City of Dubrovnik and the cruise sector. In July, Franković pressed the flesh of Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) president and CEO Kelly Craighead, as part of a new memorandum of understanding between the two parties to create a more sustainable model of tourism for the city.

According to the CLIA, the MoU promises to “preserve and protect the cultural heritage of Dubrovnik”, while focussing on “investment, collaboration and best practices for long-term destination management to the benefit [of] residents and visitors alike.”

Actions set to take place forthwith in the Adriatic include the engagement of “key stakeholders, including the local community and international organisations”; the collaboration of a “destination stewardship roadmap”, based on UN guidelines; the implementation of a new berthing policy; and the development of a new “respect the city” education campaign for tourists.

Elsewhere, city authorities and the CLIA are also said to be throwing around the idea of creating a new “world heritage visitor centre” and intermodal transportation centre in Gruž Port.

While the exact details of the action plan remain sketchy, it is understood that Franković is happy with the joint approach with the CLIA – particularly the “respect the city” project.

“We want to welcome guests and share our amazing home in a way that protects and preserves it,” he said at the time. “We hope this pioneering cooperation agreement will show the way to all relevant stakeholders including other destinations to work together to make our tourism and communities more sustainable, and our local people and our guests more satisfied.”