Introduction

Dubrovnik, Croatia’s most iconic tourist destination, is well-known for its UNESCO-listed Old Town, surrounded by historic walls. Its popularity, amplified by appearances in global media like “Game of Thrones”, led to significant issues linked to unbalanced tourism. By 2016, excessive visitor numbers were threatening both the quality of local life and the city’s World Heritage status, triggering urgent action by local authorities to restore a balance between tourism and urban sustainability.

Background and Context

Tourism accounts for about 90% of Dubrovnik’s local economy. While bringing economic benefits, the sheer volume of daily visitors, – especially during peak cruise seasons – placed severe pressure on infrastructure, caused discomfort for residents, and risked damaging the city’s cultural and physical fabric. Unbalanced tourism jeopardized not only resident’s quality of life but also Dubrovnik’s identity as a living city.

Recognizing these challenges, the city embarked on a path toward sustainable tourism, seeking to integrate visitors into the social and economic fabric without overwhelming it. A turning point was the recommendation by UNESCO to cap visitors inside the Old Town at 8,000 per day, highlighting the urgent need for better flow management.

Strategic Response and Governance Approach

Dubrovnik responded with a comprehensive, collaborative strategy. The local administration, partnering with the University of Dubrovnik and involving multiple stakeholders, launched a City Management Plan based on evidence and inclusive governance.

A key innovation was the adoption of a data-driven model to monitor and manage tourism flows. This involved installing IoT sensors at the principal gates of the Old Town, collecting real time data on movements of people and vehicles. Alongside occupancy reports from local accommodations and cruise ships, these data streams enable authorities to calculate the Tourist Carrying Capacity (TCC) and adjust it during selected periods as needed.

Enabling technologies include artificial intelligence algorithms for scenario forecasting, digital platforms (Dubrovnik Visitors and AvoidCrowds) for information dissemination, and Dubrovnik Eye, the official app for residents to report urban issues. This integrated set of tools allows both proactive and real-time management decisions, with the twofold goal of improving visitor experience and residents’ daily life.

Implementation Process

The first major intervention was capping visitor number at 8,000 per day for the Old Town, as done in 2016 following UNESCO recommendations. This was later revised upward to 11,275 after significant public infrastructure investments and process improvements. The IoT-based monitoring system DuVisitors was launched in 2019, and subsequent years saw its refinement and integration with other digital tools and management practices.

Governance was strengthened through the inclusion of a wide range of stakeholders: municipal and port authorities, heritage agencies, local businesses, the University of Dubrovnik, and residents. A dedicated Management Plan Monitoring Committee ensures ongoing dialogue and adaptive management, while mechanisms at the national (UNESCO) level provided additional oversight and coordination.

Table 1 summarizes the main solutions implemented in four main goals: dynamic calculation of Carrying Capacity; technological integration; smart infrastructure policy; transparency and community inclusion.

Results and Impact

Dubrovnik’s strategy has yielded notable positive outcomes, both quantitively and qualitatively:

• Reduced overcrowding: by dynamically enforcing the TTC, the city significantly reduced peak crowding, easing urban pressure during high-traffic periods.
• Increased resident satisfaction: improved urban livability and tourist experience are reported by both locals and visitors, as a result of better communication channels and smarter management.
• Stronger data-driven governance: local policy decision-making became more transparent and anticipatory, based on real-time evidence rather than reactive measures.
• Mitigated gentrification: targeted investments in housing and commercial spaces have helped maintain a vibrant resident population and the authenticity of local businesses.
• Urban regeneration: the city invested in infrastructure that serves both locals and tourists, preserving the dual identity of Dubrovnik as both a vibrant community and world-class destination.

Challenges

However, several challenges were encountered:

• Data availability and sharing: effective AI models depend on high-quality, timely data. Reluctance from some stakeholders to share business data, and the cost of accessing certain data sources (e.g. Mobile Positioning Data), limit the optimization potential of these technologies.
• Scalability: the model’s effectiveness depends on clear geographic boundaries, a manageable urban scale, and a willingness among local actors to collaborate and invest in technology. These preconditions may not apply in larger or more complex settings.
• Political and social consensus: success depends on strong buy-in from community and business stakeholders, who must support sometimes restrictive measures such as entry caps.

Conclusion

Dubrovnik’s approach stands as an effective, innovative model of how a historic city can turn crisis into opportunity and can be seen as a potential blueprint for other historic and high-traffic tourist cities.

Dubrovnik managed to successfully control unbalanced tourism and strengthen both its heritage and local community. However, the case also reveals that success hinges on context awareness: scalable technological infrastructure, carefully defined urban borders, collaborative governance structures, and continuous local engagement.

While not all aspects are universally applicable, the underlying principles – evidence-based planning, inclusiveness, and emphasis on both resident and visitor wellbeing – offer a path forward for destinations seeking to achieve sustainable tourism.

Methodology and References

This case study is based on a mixed methodology, combining desk analysis of official and scientific documentation with the processing of qualitative data collected through an interview.

On one hand, an in-depth analysis of secondary sources was conducted, including:

• Simulations from the Dubrovnik Visitors and AvoidCrowds portals.
• Camatti, N., Bertocchi, D., Carić, H., & van der Borg, J. (2020). A digital response system to mitigate overtourism: The case of Dubrovnik. Journal of Travel & Tourism Marketing, 37 (8–9), 887–901. https://doi.org/10.1080/10548408.2020.1828230
• Dubrovnik Tourist Board. Welcome to Dubrovnik. https://tzdubrovnik.hr/lang/en/index.html
• Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC). (2021). GSTC Destination Assessment – City of Dubrovnik. 
• Institute for the Restoration of Dubrovnik. (2021). Management plan for the UNESCO World Heritage Site of the Old City of Dubrovnik (2021–2026).
• UNESCO World Heritage Centre. Old City of Dubrovnik. https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/95/

Moreover, a qualitative interview was conducted on July 9, 2025 with Vlaho Margaretić, Senior Tourism Advisor Specialist at the Dubrovnik City administration.

The interview protocol was prepared as a semi-structured grid, consisting of macro thematic areas and guiding questions, but was used in an open and adaptable way, leaving space for spontaneous answers and any relevant digressions that emerged during the conversation.

The interview, which lasted 75 minutes, was recorded with the participant’s informed consent. The full transcript of the recording was analyzed using thematic analysis to identify recurring themes, divergences, and emerging categories.

The case study was originally written in Italian and shared in its full version with the partners of the Interreg Italy-Switzerland project “DQuaDLA – Data Quality for Discovering Local Amenities.” It was later summarized and translated into English.

Operazione cofinanziata dall’Unione Europea, Fondo Europeo di Sviluppo Regionale, dallo Stato italiano, Fondo di Rotazione, dalla Confederazione elvetica e dai Cantoni nell’ambito del Programma di Cooperazione Interreg VI-A Italia-Svizzera