Overtourism hits UNESCO World Heritage Site Kotor in Montenegro

Locals demand hike in fee for cruise ships
2024-08-11
/
/ New Delhi
Kotor
Overtourism hits UNESCO World Heritage Site Kotor in Montenegro

Kotor is a key attraction in the Adriatic country (Photo: VisitMontenegro)

Kotor, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Montenegro, which featured in the 2006 James Bond film ‘Casino Royale,’ joins a string of European destinations struggling to cope with overtourism.
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The town of Kotor in Montenegro, a UNESCO World Heritage Site perched on the edge of a picturesque Adriatic bay, is grappling with a surge in tourism that is clogging its narrow streets and posing environmental concerns.

According to reports, a large number of visitors that arrive daily on the hundreds of boats, yachts and cruise ships in Kotor’s harbour, have led locals to call for a hike in the EUR 1 (USD 1.09) fee that cruise ship visitors are charged to enter the town.

While tourism contributes roughly a quarter of Montenegro’s economic output, Kotor’s 23,000 inhabitants are feeling the strain.

Jovan Ristic,

Jovan Ristic

According to reports, local residents are complaining about traffic jams congesting the streets. “The life of our neighbours is becoming increasingly difficult during the tourist season,” Jovan Ristic, Director of the local tourist organisation, who backs an increase in the cruise ship visitor fee, was cited in reports.

The protests in Kotor come weeks after wave of anti-overtourism protests that broke out this year in popular European cities like Venice in Italy, Barcelona in Spain and Santorini in Greece.

Local people say too many visitors drive up housing costs, pricing residents out of the market, and cause congestion and other environmental problems, according to reports.

“All similar tourist destinations are working on reducing or selecting passenger ships and seriously collecting excursion fees,” Ristic adds.

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