Managing Dubrovnik’s Tourism: Insights from Dr. Tina Šegota
In our most recent workshop, Dr. Tina Šegota from the University of Maribor shared insights on how Dubrovnik is using digital technology and data-driven strategies to manage tourism flows, improve visitor experiences, and maintain sustainability. The subsequent Q&A session further deepened our understanding of the challenges and solutions at play.
The Boom and Burden of Dubrovnik’s Tourism Growth
Over the past decade, Dubrovnik has seen over 9 million overnight stays annually, with a 30% increase in visitor numbers driven by cruise tourism and film-induced travel. The city welcomes over 600 cruise ships annually, bringing nearly 900,000 cruise passengers.
While this boosts the local economy, it has led to severe overcrowding, often exceeding the carrying capacity of 8,000 visitors in the Old Town at a single time. This has triggered a mass exodus of local residents - over 50% of Dubrovnik’s Old Town population has left in recent years, leading to a 27:1 tourist-to-resident ratio.
The tourism boom has also increased housing prices, transforming homes into short-term rentals and forcing locals to relocate outside the historic centre. The result? A city that increasingly serves tourists rather than residents.
Managing Dubrovnik’s Tourism: Key Strategies and Challenges
Respect the City Initiative
To address overtourism, Dubrovnik launched the Respect the City initiative, focusing on:
- Spreading visitors beyond the Old Town to ease congestion.
- Developing new itineraries to promote alternative attractions.
- Regulating tourism through policy adaptations.
- Improving infrastructure for better transport and visitor experience.
- Using technology to monitor and manage tourist flows.
Digital Tools for Sustainable Tourism
- Real-Time Monitoring: Since 2017, surveillance cameras at city gates track visitor numbers, enforcing a limit of 8,000 people in the Old Town at one time.
- Digital Dubrovnik Pass: Encourages exploration beyond the Old Town, offering entry to attractions, transport tickets, and shuttle services.
- Digital Detox Study: Research showed that tourists without digital navigation explored less crowded areas, supporting new itinerary development.
Post-COVID Recovery & Seasonality Shifts
By 2022, tourism rebounded to 75% of pre-pandemic levels, but Old Town visits surged by 25%, straining capacity. More tourists now visit in off-peak seasons due to crowd-monitoring tools and high summer prices.
Ongoing Challenges
Despite interventions, Dubrovnik still faces:
- Traffic congestion from tourist buses and cruise arrivals.
- Housing pressures, with rising property costs pushing out locals.
- Emergency response concerns, given limited entry points to the Old Town.
Dubrovnik’s tech-driven tourism management is a model for other destinations, but balancing visitor experience, local quality of life, and heritage preservation remains a challenge.
Q&A Insights: Key Takeaways
The Q&A session provided deeper insights into Dubrovnik’s tourism management strategies. While real-time monitoring has helped control overcrowding, concerns remain about traffic congestion, housing affordability, and emergency response. Dubrovnik’s unique ability to regulate entrances sets it apart from cities like Venice and Rome, but challenges persist, especially regarding balancing economic benefits with local quality of life. The Digital Dubrovnik Pass and new visitor itineraries are promising solutions, yet ongoing collaboration with residents, businesses, and policymakers is essential to maintaining the city’s sustainability and cultural heritage.
Lessons for Other Tourist Destinations
- Dubrovnik’s approach offers valuable insights for cities struggling with overtourism:
- Real-time visitor tracking prevents overcrowding.
- Digital passes encourage dispersion and alternative itineraries.
- Cruise ship limits help control influx.
- Community engagement ensures local support.
- Tech-free tourism experiments foster alternative travel behaviours.
While challenges persist, Dubrovnik is proving that technology and data-driven strategies can help protect cultural heritage while maintaining a sustainable tourism economy.