Andrea Godfrey, marketing manager at Regent Holidays, a Bristol-based travel agent that has been operating tours in the region since the 1970s, welcomes the changes with caution. “It’s not clear how timed entry will work yet – maybe it limits flexibility and maybe it leads to longer wait times – it’s hard to know,” she said. “Our sales team feel that the idea of a timed entry into the city walls is a good idea overall though. Sustainable controlled tourism is definitely a selling point. But given overtourism in the area in general, we’re sending more people to quieter spots in Istria and other Croatian islands these days, rather than Dubrovnik.”
Due to Dubrovnik’s popularity – along with a starring role in the new television series of Outer Banks, soon to be filmed in the city – visitors should not expect to see empty streets. But Franković’s moves mark a rare turning point in mass tourism: a city rejecting tourism dollars for the sake of its citizens. In an era when most destinations chase growth at any cost, Dubrovnik is making the opposite bet: that quality, not quantity, will define its future.
Still, tourism interventions take years to reset the balance locals crave. Dubrovnik may have set the global benchmark, but it remains crowded – and Franković admits the gamble will take patience.
“I see the city of Dubrovnik in three years’ time with happy citizens, good tourism numbers and as a living city,” said Franković. “Everyone will be happy – but it will take some hard decisions.”
“I’m trying to persuade our citizens that I’m doing this for the good of everyone. At the beginning they were definitely losing income. Now they can see that they are gaining much more profit than they used to, because their restaurants are full, coffee bars are full and people are enjoying [themselves]. So more is not always equal to more. Sometimes more is equal to less – and less is more.”
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