(TAN): Croatian city of Dubrovnik might put a ban on all new restaurants, thanks to overtourism, reports said.
The proposed ban, if effective, could prohibit new restaurants from placing any tables and chairs outside in the Old Town for the next five years. The city council will reportedly vote on the proposal next month.
“Anyone wanting to open a restaurant in the Old Town cannot put down new tables and chairs for the next five years,” Dubrovnik Mayor Mato Franković, was quoted by CNN as saying.
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The ban can effectively stop new restaurant business, as indoor space is limited with the Old Town being built into the city walls.
“They can open inside, but knowing the Old City it’s very hard to find a place where you can work inside. Ninety nine percent of restaurants work mainly with outside tables,” the mayor added.
He also reportedly said that if a restaurant closes, no other restaurants will be able open up in its place.
The proposed ban is part of the “5x5x5” model launched by the mayor earlier this year, under which owners will get five-year leases as opposed to the annual leases offered before, a report said. The new model is expected to provide better security to business owners and a strategic part in handling public space to the city.
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Dubrovnik has rapidly grown as a tourist destination in the past few years, and a part of its popularity can be attributed to its role as the fictional city of King’s Landing in the television series “Game of Thrones”.
It has joined the list of several cities and towns across the globe that are impacted by the pressure of overtourism. Dubrovnik has already put a limit on the number of cruise ships that can dock in its ports, reduced outdoor seating by 20% and banned 80% souvenir shops to combat overtourism, a report said. However, the city council proposed the new ban as a stricter measure to tackle overtourism.
The locals reportedly supported the move.
“I think it is good to limit the number of restaurants as order is good. Restaurants have both indoor and outdoor seating but of course it is far more attractive to sit outside. It should not be just restaurants that should be in order,” Alan Mandić, the owner of a boutique travel agency, was quoted by CNN as saying.
