"Dubrovnik’s tourism in recent years is growing at 10 percent a year, and I think Game of Thrones is responsible for about half that growth," Vlahusic told Bloomberg.
The red-roofed city on Croatia’s southern coast, Bloomberg Markets reports in its May 2015 issue, is drawing new visitors as a filming site of HBO’s Game of Thrones. The hit show, based on George R.R. Martin’s fantasy series A Song of Ice and Fire, has gained legions of fans for its intricate story, power-obsessed characters, and gratuitous nudity.
The fifth season, which was also shot in Spain and Northern Ireland, was set to premiere on April 12 in more than 170 countries.
Dubrovnik, already Croatia’s top tourist destination, plays the part of King’s Landing, a city teeming with the Machiavellian Lannisters. The production has provided thousands of jobs to extras, support crew, and businesses riding the surge in tourism.
While the show’s producers have only spent $14 million shooting in Croatia, Dubrovnik has already attracted other film projects, not to mention a planned Game of Thrones theme park.