Croatia Joins Italy, Greece, Spain, France, Portugal, And More In Combating Overtourism With New Measures To Preserve Heritage

Published on September 8, 2025

Croatia is taking bold steps to combat overtourism by implementing caller measures designed to sphere its taste heritage, joining different European destinations for illustration Italy, Greece, Spain, France, and Portugal successful nan world effort to reside nan pressures of wide tourism. In bid to sphere Croatia’s historical sites and lively customs for early generations, these caller initiatives activity to onslaught a equilibrium betwixt welcoming visitors and protecting section communities successful cities for illustration Dubrovnik, which are overrun by tourists.

Overtourism has go an progressively pressing rumor for galore beloved tourer destinations worldwide, and Dubrovnik successful Croatia is nary exception. As 1 of nan astir celebrated tourer cities successful Europe, Dubrovnik faces an overwhelming influx of visitors, pinch nan metropolis now referred to arsenic nan astir overcrowded successful nan world. According to a report, location are arsenic galore arsenic 27 visitors for each section resident astatine nan highest of nan tourer season. This broad portion explores Dubrovnik’s unsocial business and nan measures it is taking to conflict overtourism while joining different salient destinations for illustration Venice, Santorini, Barcelona, Paris, and Lisbon successful their efforts to sphere their taste practice and section communities.

Dubrovnik’s Overtourism Crisis

Dubrovnik, often referred to arsenic nan “Pearl of nan Adriatic,” has been a staple successful nan recreation industry, attracting millions of visitors annually owed to its stunning medieval architecture and picturesque coastline. The city’s fame surged aft it was featured prominently successful nan internationally acclaimed tv bid Game of Thrones, wherever nan Old City was transformed into nan backdrop for King’s Landing. The allure of its constrictive cobblestone streets, vibrant metropolis walls, and rich | history has only accrued nan measurement of travelers heading to Dubrovnik.

However, nan rising number of visitors has travel pinch dire consequences. Dubrovnik’s historical Old City, erstwhile location to 5,000 residents, now hosts conscionable 1,500 people. Many section homes person been converted into short-term rentals to accommodate nan ever-growing request for accommodation, starring to a nonaccomplishment of organization and taste authenticity. With tourism expanding exponentially, spot prices person skyrocketed, making it progressively difficult for locals to spend to unrecorded wrong nan city.

To reside these challenges, Dubrovnik’s metropolis officials person unveiled a broad group of measures aimed astatine managing overtourism, enhancing sustainability, and preserving nan city’s identity. The caller regulations and initiatives purpose to onslaught a equilibrium betwixt welcoming visitors and protecting nan section organization and heritage.

New Measures to Tackle Overtourism successful Dubrovnik

Dubrovnik’s activity has recognized nan request for action and is implementing respective innovative strategies that bespeak a broader inclination seen successful different European cities affected by overtourism. These initiatives attraction connected reducing congestion successful nan Old City, controlling nan number of visitors, and ensuring that tourism benefits nan section population.

• Limiting Cruise Ships: One of nan important steps successful controlling overtourism is limiting nan number of cruise ships visiting nan city. Dubrovnik will now restrict cruise arrivals to conscionable 2 per day, pinch a minimum enactment of 8 hours. This move intends to alleviate unit connected nan city’s infrastructure and disperse visitors passim nan day, preventing overcrowding successful nan constrictive streets and astatine celebrated attractions.
• Auditing Rental Accommodations: Authorities are conducting a thorough audit of nan rental accommodation market, which has seen an detonation successful short-term rentals specified arsenic those listed connected platforms for illustration Airbnb. This audit will guarantee that nan number of disposable properties for visitors is sustainable and does not discuss nan lodging needs of nan section population. The metropolis hopes to find a equilibrium that accommodates visitors without displacing residents.
• Buying Apartments for Locals: In an effort to sphere nan integrity of nan metropolis and supply affordable lodging for its residents, Dubrovnik is buying up apartments and converting them into rental units that are affordable for section families. This inaugural intends to stem nan tide of rising spot prices and guarantee that nan metropolis remains a spot wherever group tin unrecorded and work, not conscionable visit.
• Creating a New School successful a Palace: The metropolis is besides moving to put successful its section infrastructure by opening a caller schoolhouse successful a historical palace. This finance not only provides much-needed acquisition services to nan section organization but besides adds to nan city’s efforts to sphere its practice while improving nan value of life for its residents.

Dubrovnik’s Efforts successful nan Context of Global Overtourism

Dubrovnik’s business is not unique. Around Europe, respective cities person been grappling pinch akin challenges, wherever tourism has go some a blessing and a curse. Cities for illustration Venice, Santorini, Barcelona, Paris, and Lisbon are besides facing nan pressures of overtourism, starring them to adopt akin strategies to mitigate overcrowding and sphere section culture.

Venice, Italy

Venice, 1 of nan astir iconic cities successful nan world, has agelong struggled pinch overtourism. The metropolis sees astir 85,000 visitors daily, while nan historical halfway houses less than 50,000 residents. The surge successful visitors has led to terrible overcrowding, biology degradation, and a lodging crisis.

• Measures Taken: Venice has introduced introduction fees for day-trippers, a prohibition connected ample cruise ships successful nan historical center, and strict regulations connected short-term rental accommodations. These measures are designed to trim nan strain connected section resources, guarantee nan sustainability of tourism, and protect Venice’s delicate ecosystem.

Santorini, Greece

Santorini, different destination that has knowledgeable important overtourism, now faces up to 18,000 visitors regular successful a municipality pinch only 15,000 residents. This influx of visitors has led to important biology concerns, arsenic good arsenic unit connected section infrastructure.

• Measures Taken: In consequence to these challenges, Santorini has implemented a headdress connected nan number of cruise vessel visitors, limiting nan number to 8,000 per day. This is portion of a broader effort to negociate nan travel of visitors and guarantee that nan land remains a sustainable destination for some locals and tourists.

Barcelona, Spain

Barcelona has go a awesome of overtourism successful Spain, pinch complete 30 cardinal yearly visitors arriving successful a metropolis of conscionable 1.6 cardinal residents. The influx of visitors has led to lodging affordability issues, gentrification, and tensions betwixt locals and visitors.

• Measures Taken: Barcelona is readying to prohibition short-term rentals by 2028 and has already begun to trim nan number of cruise ships arriving astatine nan port. These actions purpose to mitigate nan antagonistic effect of tourism connected nan city’s lodging marketplace and neighborhoods while promoting a much sustainable attack to tourism.

Paris, France

Paris, 1 of nan astir visited cities successful nan world, faces its ain challenges pinch overtourism. While it continues to pull millions of visitors each year, nan attraction of visitors adjacent landmarks for illustration nan Eiffel Tower and nan Louvre has caused congestion, noise, and pollution.

• Measures Taken: Paris has responded by tightening power complete Airbnb listings and expanding pedestrian zones astir awesome tourer attractions. These efforts are designed to trim congestion and create a much enjoyable acquisition for some locals and visitors.

Lisbon, Portugal

Lisbon has seen a accelerated summation successful visitors successful caller years, starring to displacement of residents, sound pollution, and proscription strain. The city’s accelerated tourism maturation has outpaced nan capacity of its infrastructure.

• Measures Taken: In response, Lisbon has imposed limits connected tourer accommodations and is promoting replacement routes to trim overcrowding successful celebrated areas. These efforts purpose to equilibrium nan needs of nan section organization pinch those of tourists.

The Bigger Picture: A Movement Toward Sustainable Tourism

Dubrovnik’s actions, on pinch those of cities for illustration Venice, Santorini, Barcelona, Paris, and Lisbon, bespeak a broader displacement successful really nan tourism manufacture operates. The attraction is nary longer connected nan unchecked maturation of visitant numbers but connected uncovering sustainable solutions that use some locals and tourists. This includes:

• Implementing visitant caps and regulating cruise vessel arrivals to trim overcrowding.
• Introducing introduction fees and taxes to make gross for maintaining section infrastructure and protecting nan environment.
• Promoting sustainable accommodation options that do not value locals retired of their communities.
• Engaging successful semipermanent readying and collaboration pinch residents, businesses, and tourism stakeholders to create a balanced attack to tourism management.

As Dubrovnik joins Venice, Santorini, Barcelona, Paris, Lisbon, and different cities successful tackling overtourism, it marks a captious turning constituent successful nan measurement cities attack tourism management. While tourism remains an basal economical driver, nan request to safeguard taste heritage, sphere section communities, and protect nan situation has ne'er been much urgent. By adopting bold measures and striving for sustainability, these cities are not only ensuring a amended early for their residents but besides offering a much meaningful and respectful acquisition for travelers.

Croatia is joining Italy, Greece, Spain, France, Portugal, and others successful combating overtourism pinch caller measures aimed astatine preserving its taste heritage. These actions are basal to negociate nan increasing number of visitors while safeguarding nan integrity of Croatia’s historical sites and section communities.

As overtourism continues to impact celebrated destinations worldwide, it’s clear that nan clip for action is now. By learning from Dubrovnik’s efforts and nan initiatives of different cities, we tin dream for a early wherever tourism is not a load but a blessing for some visitors and locals alike.