Skift Take
Dubrovnik continues to reap large tourism rewards from being a filming location for Game of Thrones, but it needs restrictions to protect its fragile infrastructure and preserve resident quality of life.
The medieval walled city of Dubrovnik, Croatia, is turning to technology to manage its burgeoning tourism industry. Traffic has become unmanageable since the city starred as a backdrop in HBO’s “Game of Thrones.”
Starting next year, Dubrovnik will launch a “special traffic regime zone” in its UNESCO-listed Old Town. The zone will use a custom mobile app to regulate tour buses and slash the number of permitted taxis from a staggering 9,000 to just 700.
“All inhabitants will be allowed to drive in the area, but cars with [foreign license] plates, such as rental cars and taxis, and other vehicles, will not be permitted in the limited traffic zone,” said Jelka Tepšić, deputy mayor of tourism.
To pass through the zone, tour buses will need to pre-book slots via the city’s app. Dubrovnik also plans to build a “Park and Ride,” a parking lot in the suburb of Pobrežje where visitors can leave their cars and take public buses into the city.
Dubrovnik’s Old City, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, has seen its narrow streets snarled with traffic.
Dubrovnik’s Plan to Manage Tourism: ‘Respect the City’
This move comes as part of the city’s broader “Respect the City” strategy, initiated in 2017 to balance tourism growth with quality of life for locals. The efforts haven’t stopped tourism growth. Since the start of 2024, the city has recorded over 3 million tourist stays, up 10% from last year, according to the government’s tourism ministry.
As part of the strategy, the city has worked with the cruise industry to regulate the growth of cruise tourism. Dubrovnik now welcomes only two cruise ships per weekend, with a maximum of 4,000 passengers per week, provides public transportation from the harbor to the Old Town, and charges cruise taxes.
“It was necessary because cruise tourism wasn’t being managed at all,” Tepšić said.
Game of Thrones Fame
The strategy was partly adopted in response to the tourism boom following the global stardom the city achieved as the filming location for King’s Landing in the HBO hit series Game of Thrones.
“What Game of Thrones brought is great marketing for our city,” Tepšić said.
Tourists visit the city to see where scenes from the show were filmed. Game of Thrones-themed tours generated £18.2 million ($24.4 million) in revenue for Dubrovnik, according to a study by tour operator software provider Bókun.
Carriers responded to the attention by adding direct flights between the U.S. and Dubrovnik. “The series increased interest, especially from the U.S. market,” Tepšić said.