Coming for a vacation and destroying cultural heritage. After Italy, is Croatia also struggling with tourists from hell?

The Washington Post recently reported on unruly tourists in popular global destinations like Dubrovnik. We investigated whether these “nightmare tourists” had reached Croatia after causing problems in Italy.

The Italian authorities recently located the Bulgarian responsible for carving his and his girlfriend’s names onto the ancient Roman Colosseum, a UNESCO World Heritage site. Sadly, this isn’t the first incident of tourists damaging such heritage sites.

“People need to behave appropriately, whether at home or abroad,” says Snjezana from Germany, emphasizing respect for what’s being visited.

Abra from Italy agrees, stating that visitors should be considerate since others want to enjoy the same sights.

Seven years ago, Dubrovnik’s historic sites suffered when a guest leaned on Onofrio’s fountain, causing damage that required significant repairs.

Croatian law is strict: harming cultural assets results in imprisonment up to three years, and up to five years for assets of national importance.

This summer, Europe has seen a rise in incidents involving “problematic” tourists. In Dubrovnik, some disruptions were linked to the Game of Thrones series.

While few fines have been issued, the city’s approach emphasizes warnings and communication.

Dubrovnik, not known as a party destination, intends to leave overcrowding and misbehavior behind, aiming for a more respectful form of tourism.

SOURCE: danas.hr

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