Kotor, also known as Montenegro’s Adriatic gem, is struggling with the amount of tourists entering its picturesque streets on a daily basis. In times when many other tourist hotspots have decided to work with daily visitor limits and fees, some are proposing it is time to do the same in Kotor.
Being listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and having served as the backdrop for many movies, including the now classic James Bond “Casino Royale”, the fact that Kotor is popular amongst tourists doesn’t come as a surprise. Its dwindling streets and breathtaking location on Montenegro’s Adriatic coast alone would be enough to explain the appeal.
However, over the last years, the historic town, with a population of just 23,000, has been suffering in particular from the many cruise-related arrivals. According to a report by Reuters, on Wednesday, 7 August, alone, four cruise ships carrying about 5,000 tourists moored in the town. In 2024, around 500 cruise ships are expected to arrive. Montenegro’s economic output might depend a quarter on tourism but even so, such numbers are expected to raise concerns.
“Our neighbours’ lives are becoming increasingly difficult during the tourist season”, Jovan Ristić, the director of the local tourist organisation, told Reuters. “All similar tourist destinations are working on reducing or selecting passenger ships and seriously collecting excursion fees.”
At the moment, those who enter Kotor by cruise have to pay 1 euro to do so. Many, including Ristić, are now asking whether it’s time to drive up that fee and maybe take other measures too.
And so we came to Kotor, Montenegro. Which enchanted Byron as the perfect coastline, the wildest marriage of mountains and sea. And now enchants 4m American tourists every 15 minutes. Approximately pic.twitter.com/31XWlEekmw
— sean thomas knox (@thomasknox) June 30, 2022
Aside from the fact that the experience of visiting Kotor might become less romantic due to the tourist overload, the many visitors are causing other problems too, especially for locals. Traffic congestions have become a daily reality and housing prices has peaked since the popularity of the town has gone up, causing many to move away from the city.
Finally, on an ecological note, Kotor’s mass tourism sparks questions too. “Such a number of cruisers requires a study to determine the maximum environmental load,” said Milica Mandic, a scientific advisor at Montenegro’s Institute of Marine Biology.
