Tourists are flocking to Dubrovnik over Game of Thrones

Thousands of tourists are visiting Croatia purely because the hit HBO fantasy series Game of Thrones is partly filmed in Dubrovnik, a recently published study shows.

The data, collected by researchers from the Zagreb Institute of Economics and the Johannes Kepler University Linz, shows that 60,000 people visit Dubrovnik annually for the sole reason that Game of Thrones is shot there. 244,415 tourists have visited Dubrovnik between 2012 and 2015 because of its association with the show, spending 126 million euros ($147 million) while on their travels — a significant boost to the local economy.

“We find that the filming of the TV series in Dubrovnik has a robust and positive effect on the number of tourist arrivals. Additionally, [our results] show that there are positive spillover effects on other counties and the whole country,” say the researchers, quoted by Croatia Week.

From season two of Game of Thrones, Dubrovnik has served as the filming site of “King’s Landing”. The city has been the backdrop to a number of international hit films and series in recent years, including Robin Hood: Origins and Star Wars: Episode VIII.

Source: Croatia Week