Dubrovnik, known as the “Pearl of the Adriatic,” is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the Mediterranean. It is filled with charming ancient towns, UNESCO-listed sites, and large ports. The city has become a popular stop for cruise ships after the hit series “Game of Thrones” was largely filmed there.
After disembarking from the cruise ship, visitors will be taken by small boats to the mainland and guided to the old town. Tours usually start with Pile Gate, the main entrance to Dubrovnik, built in the 16th century, followed by a walk along Stradun to the city walls. Entrance costs 30 euros (about 770,000 VND). The most popular tourist attractions are the locations of the movie “Game of Thrones” or the oldest pharmacy in Europe in a Franciscan monastery from the 14th century.
Last year, about 400 cruise ships carrying more than 3 million tourists docked in the city. Many people believe that this will have a negative impact on historical relics in the long term. However, more than 80% of the local population depends on tourism, so the authorities are reluctant to address this issue.
However, there is growing evidence of the negative impact of tourism, especially in cities like Dubrovnik. Many bookstores, bakeries, butchers, hairdressers, supermarkets, and souvenir shops have been built to serve tourists. In addition, the boats that dock here use large amounts of fossil fuels, pollute the water, air, and noise, seriously affecting the marine ecosystem.
Many locals are starting to realize that tourism is getting too much. So the mayor has decided to tighten the controls: only two boats are allowed to dock in the morning and one after noon. Next year, only 4,000 visitors will be allowed a day, and after two years, visitors will have to pay a 2 euro tax (about 51,000 VND) per person.
Meanwhile, the small neighboring kingdom of Montenegro faces the same problem as Dubrovnik, with even more serious consequences. As the third most popular tourist destination in the Adriatic, the small city of Kotor in the kingdom often has to welcome three giant ships to its port every day, each stopping here for nearly 12 hours. In 2019, Kotor welcomed about 500 cruise ships with more than half a million tourists coming here to visit, a sharp increase compared to 2003 when there were 50 ships and 50,000 tourists a year.
Kotor faces more dangers than Dubrovnik because the Kingdom of Montenegro is outside the EU, so EU laws do not apply there. The city has no designated marine reserves, ships can use cheap, sulphur-laden fuel and there are no restrictions on noise, which can have a devastating effect on fish, dolphins and sea turtles.
Kotor sits at the end of Boka Kotorska Bay, surrounded by majestic mountains, which cause ship emissions to accumulate and pollute the air. Fishermen and marine biologists are also concerned about ships dredging the bottom of the bay, destroying the ecosystem and dumping wastewater into the sea, introducing foreign matter into the bay and upsetting the natural balance. Seagrasses, clams and the rich flora on the seabed will all be severely affected.
“The biggest problem is the sheer size of the yachts. Only one yacht is supposed to dock at a time of day, and the second or third one has to dock further away. This seriously damages marine life such as sponges, corals and other organisms that live on the mud bottom. Moreover, the constant lifting and dropping of anchors and the movement of the yachts affect the distribution of light, which prevents photosynthesis of plants, endangering algae and seaweed,” said Vesna Macic, a member of the Kotor Institute of Marine Biology.
Macic hopes that the use of cheap fuel will be banned under EU law, the number of boats will be limited and buoys will be used instead of anchors. However, in a country where the average salary is around 453 euros a month, imposing rules and restrictions on tourists, who spend around 40 euros a day, is unlikely to be popular.
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