Kotor, a UNESCO jewel on Montenegro's Adriatic coast, is struggling with overtourism

Kotor is a stunning UNESCO World Heritage Site on the Adriatic coast of Montenegro. Today, the charming city is struggling with a huge influx of tourists. This place is famous for its medieval architecture and magnificent coastal views. Tourists from all over the world come here daily on boats, yachts and cruise ships.

This surge in tourism has caused concern among local residents and prompted them to discuss the issue of increasing the €1 fee that Cruise ship passengers pay to enter the city. This fee, introduced to manage the flow of visitors, has not kept pace with the growth in the number of cruise ships, which are expected to be around 500 this year.

More about Kotor

On a normal day, the quiet harbor of Kotor can become a bustling hub of activity, as it was on a recent Wednesday when four cruise ships carrying nearly 5,000 tourists docked at the same time. This influx has significantly impacted the city's infrastructure and quality of life. Medieval streets that were once filled with the sounds of history now face heavy traffic and overcrowding.

Kotor is not the first city to grapple with this situation. A number of major European cities, such as Venice, Barcelona and Santorini, have also faced similar pressures, leading to protests and policy changes aimed at limiting the negative effects of excessive visitor numbers. Venice, for example, introduced a €5 fee in April to manage day-trippers during peak times, in an innovative attempt to balance tourism with local life.

Growing numbers of tourists

The growing number of tourists in Kotor leads to rising housing costs, making it increasingly difficult for residents to live in their own city. Local residents support increasing entry fees. Moreover, the impact of mass tourism on the environment is becoming clear. The local marine environment is under pressure from the large number of cruise ships.

Milica Mandić, scientific consultant at the Institute of Marine Biology of Montenegro, emphasizes the need for environmental studies to assess the maximum sustainable load on the region's marine ecosystem.

In response to these problems, neighboring Croatia has taken measures to control the number of tourists. Dubrovnik, another UNESCO site, introduced the Respect the City plan in 2017, limiting the number of cruise visitors to 4,000 at any one time. This approach aims to protect the cultural and environmental integrity of the city, as well as to accommodate tourists more sustainably.

Source: timesofindia