After the sharp increase in visitors to Dubrovnik due to the successful Game of Thrones series, the city’s municipal authority is implementing a series of measures against overtourism, including exclusive access to the city walls by reservation starting in 2026.
For the creators of HBO’s hit series Game of Thrones, Dubrovnik was the perfect filming location for the mythical city of King’s Landing.
The Croatian city, surrounded by well-preserved walls, is a place of enchantment and mystery. However, the fantasy series has attracted even more tourists to a place that has long been touted as the “pearl of the Adriatic.” To counteract the trend of overtourism, the mayor of Dubrovnik is taking a series of measures. Mato Frankovic said on the newspaper The Independent’s daily travel podcast:
-From 2026, access to the city walls will only be possible with a reservation.
– Cruise ships will be limited to two per day, with a minimum stay of eight hours, in order to distribute the flow of passengers.
-The inspection of rental properties and other businesses is ongoing, with the municipal authority investing in apartments that are then rented to families at low rates.
– Creating a new school in the premises of a former palace.
According to sustainable travel agency Responsible Travel, Dubrovnik has been ranked as the most crowded city in the world, with 27 tourists for every resident during peak tourist season.
“Starting next year, it will be mandatory to book the date and time you want to visit the city walls. There will be a specific number of people allowed at the city walls at any given time. This will reduce the number of tourists who are not very satisfied with their visit due to overcrowding,” Mr. Frankovic said. He also noted that the goal is to provide the highest quality service, offering the best possible experience.
The plan focuses on the Dubrovnik Pass, a daily ticket that covers visits to the city walls, museums, galleries, and monasteries, and costs 40 euros (35 pounds).
The plan for cruise ship visits
In the wider city, cruise ships are now limited to two per day and must stay for at least eight hours.
“In 2017, cruise ships typically stayed only for four hours, with travelers rushing into the city, taking a photo, and leaving. Today, he said, the standard schedule is 11 hours, allowing for a range of excursions and thus reducing congestion in the city center and points of interest,” said the mayor of Dubrovnik.
Mr. Frankovic emphasized that the city welcomes visitors. “We know very well that 80% of Dubrovnik’s citizens live from tourism. If you give tourists the opportunity to stay longer, to enjoy more, they actually spend much more. Tourists no longer want to be in overcrowded cities. The cities that are prepared for sustainable tourism will be the ones that will lead,” he said.
He emphasized that the main goal of the municipal authority is “to keep Dubrovnik alive.”
Apartments and businesses are under control
According to reports, homes and apartments have been converted into tourist accommodations, destroying any sense of community, eroding the authentic culture, and driving up property prices.
In this context, Mr. Frankovic said that a program is underway to control the number of apartments, restaurants, cafes, and souvenir shops operating in the Old Town, in order to achieve a sustainable number, as he explained that the goal is for more residents to live in the Old Town.
“We buy houses in the Old Town, renovate them, and then give them to new families through a public tender at a very low monthly rent,” he said. And he added that a former palace has been given new life as a school “to rebuild the community in the Old Town.”
The measures implemented by the Dubrovnik municipal authority come a year after Venice’s decision to become the first city in the world to charge an entrance fee for daily visitors, in an effort to “curb” what residents describe as an “unseemly flow of tourists.”
