How do you write dollar signs in Dothraki? Game of Thrones is filming its fifth season in Osuna, Spain, and the show’s presence there may be good news for the territory with an unemployment rate of 34.7 percent — one of the highest in the country.
More than 500 locals from around the town of 18,000 are receiving approximately $65 a day to work as extras for the HBO hit, The Independent reports. But local business may get an even bigger boost after the production leaves, as previous filming locations in Iceland, Northern Ireland and Croatia have reported dramatic increases in tourism following the show’s visit. The number of tourists visiting the town and the Seville area is expected to rise by 15 percent, according to U.S. ambassador to Spain and former HBO exec James Costos. (Could there be anyone more qualified to talk about HBO’s Spanish tourism impact than a guy who’s held those jobs?)
Those who do make the trek to southern Spain can unwind at Casa Curro, an Osuna restaurant that’s prepared a Games of Thrones-themed menu with dishes like the Joffrey — a bacon and trout dish with mulled wine.
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