From Disneyland to a Living City: Dubrovnik’s bold fight against overtourism
Dubrovnik has kicked off a bold experiment to reclaim life inside its ancient walls. The city that long drew millions of visitors—cruise passengers piling off ships in droves, crowds clogging the stone lanes, and a skyline crowded with souvenir stalls—has begun capping numbers, curbing cruise traffic, and even outlawing wheeled suitcases on its cobblestones as it pivots toward a new, more sustainable equilibrium. The changes are sweeping, data-driven, and deeply pragmatic: a hard cap on the number of people inside the walls at 11,200, a dramatic reduction from peak days when tens of thousands could be counted within the medieval precincts. Cruise ships are now limited to two per day, down from a flourishing schedule that once reached about eight per day, and docking windows have been extended so visitors can explore at a more relaxed pace and spend money in local venues rather than sprint through landmarks.