Dubrovnik’s New Reservation Policy For City Walls Sets A Global Standard For Sustainable Tourism

Published on September 7, 2025

To reside nan challenges of overtourism and guarantee a much sustainable visitant experience, Dubrovnik is introducing a mandatory preservation strategy for its iconic metropolis walls. This move is designed to modulate nan number of visitors astatine immoderate fixed time, trim overcrowding, and supply a much enjoyable and authentic experience. By implementing these measures, Dubrovnik intends to protect its taste heritage, amended nan value of tourism, and sphere nan metropolis for early generations.

In a move to reside nan increasing rumor of overtourism, Dubrovnik, Croatia, is group to instrumentality caller regulations aimed astatine protecting nan city’s practice and improving nan visitant experience. Starting adjacent year, visitors will only beryllium capable to entree nan city’s celebrated walls done a preservation system. This determination follows successful nan footsteps of Venice, which became nan first metropolis to complaint day-trippers an introduction fee, signaling a wider world inclination of cities taking steps to negociate tourer influxes.

Dubrovnik’s iconic metropolis walls, which pull millions of visitors annually, will soon person a controlled introduction system. Visitors will request to book a circumstantial clip slot to enter, pinch a headdress connected nan number of group allowed astatine immoderate fixed time. This strategy is designed to alleviate overcrowding, a interest that has grown complete nan years, peculiarly pinch nan emergence successful tourism linked to nan fame of world media hits for illustration Game of Thrones, which was filmed successful nan city. The preamble of this booking strategy will not only thief sphere nan historical worth of nan metropolis but besides heighten nan wide tourer experience, ensuring a much relaxed and enjoyable sojourn for those who do make nan trip.

This move is portion of a broader strategy by Dubrovnik’s activity to displacement distant from wide tourism and attraction connected sustainability. The metropolis has been grappling pinch nan antagonistic effects of overtourism for years. Crowded streets, agelong lines astatine awesome attractions, and nan strain connected section resources person each been increasing concerns for nan residents and nan section authorities alike. By introducing a controlled entree strategy to nan metropolis walls, Dubrovnik intends to amended nan wide value of nan experience, making it much enjoyable for visitors and much manageable for locals.

The politician of Dubrovnik, Mato Franković, explained that nan extremity of these measures is to create a much balanced and sustainable tourism exemplary that benefits some nan city’s system and its residents. According to Franković, nan attraction will beryllium connected providing higher-quality services and much authentic experiences for tourists. “The purpose is not to trim nan number of tourists, but to power it successful a measurement that ensures nan preservation of nan city’s taste and humanities integrity,” he remarked.

A important facet successful nan city’s overtourism dilemma is nan proliferation of short-term rentals, specified arsenic those offered done platforms for illustration Airbnb. These rentals person led to rising spot prices, driving retired section residents and contributing to nan gentrification of nan Old City. As much properties are converted into short-term rental units, nan section organization has faced expanding challenges, including a nonaccomplishment of nan unsocial section civilization and nan displacement of long-time residents.

To tackle these issues, Dubrovnik is reviewing nan effect of short-term rentals connected nan section lodging market. The metropolis is conducting an audit of apartments, restaurants, cafés, and souvenir shops wrong nan historical center. The extremity is to place a sustainable equilibrium that will let residents to proceed surviving successful nan Old City, while besides preserving its characteristic and charm for early generations of visitors. By regulating nan number of tourer accommodations and encouraging businesses that cater to some locals and visitors, Dubrovnik hopes to foster a much sustainable tourism exemplary that prioritizes semipermanent residents.

The city’s efforts are suggestive of a increasing inclination crossed Europe and beyond, wherever cities facing nan pressures of overtourism are taking proactive steps to protect their taste heritage. The preamble of preservation systems, for illustration those planned for nan metropolis walls, on pinch measures to modulate short-term rentals, is portion of a broader speech astir really champion to equilibrium nan benefits of tourism pinch nan needs of section communities. Cities specified arsenic Barcelona, Amsterdam, and Venice person each implemented akin strategies to curb nan effects of wide tourism.

While these changes will inevitably change nan acquisition for visitors, they besides connection a chance to reshape nan tourism manufacture successful Dubrovnik. The city’s activity is focused connected creating a much sustainable future, 1 that benefits not only nan millions of visitors who sojourn each twelvemonth but besides nan residents who telephone Dubrovnik home. By ensuring that visitors are dispersed retired much evenly passim nan day, and by encouraging tourism that is much aligned pinch nan needs of nan section community, Dubrovnik hopes to group a precedent for different cities facing akin challenges.

Dubrovnik’s caller preservation strategy for introduction to nan metropolis walls, mixed pinch efforts to modulate short-term rentals and support a sustainable equilibrium betwixt tourism and section life, represents a bold measurement guardant successful managing overtourism. As nan metropolis continues to navigate nan challenges of being 1 of Europe’s astir visited destinations, these measures will thief guarantee that Dubrovnik remains a thriving taste hub for some its residents and nan millions of visitors it welcomes each year.