INTERDEPENDENCE BETWEEN THE CRUISE SHIP TOURISM DEVELOPMENT AND HISTORIC CORES USING THE EXAMPLE OF KOTOR, MONTENEGRO

The dynamic and continuous development of the cruise industry also necessitates a comprehensive process of adapting coastal destinations to this type of tourism. In this connection, the challenges for countries, cities and ports are, most often, interdependent and layered. The results in terms of the number of ship calls and visiting passengers have placed Kotor among recognisable and increasingly interesting cruise ports. Certainly, in addition to its attractiveness due to its geographical position, monuments in the hinterland of the port, including the cultural and historical area of the Bay of Kotor which is a UNESCO world heritage site, are invaluable for the affirmation of the port. It is assessed that the results achieved in positioning Kotor and the effects that cruise tourism has on the local and national economy have not been sufficiently researched and published. The aim of this paper is to provide an answer to some of many questions regarding the relations among the Port, the City and the Hinterland. To this end, the correlation between cruise-ship passengers arriving at the port of Kotor and tourists visiting the Old Town of Kotor and its hinterland has been explored. The paper is also expected to outline the process of adapting the historic core to contemporary tourism development and to initiate further research related to the topic of this paper.