Respect the City- Data-Driven Visitor Management and Sustainable Tourism Program
Published on
15/12/2025
About this challenge
Croatia
Solution description
The urban challenge was acute overtourism and "peak-moment" congestion within the UNESCO-listed Old City Walls , primarily caused by the simultaneous disembarkation of thousands of cruise ship passengers and day-trip bus visitors. This concentration eroded the quality of life,led to physical wear on historic sites, created hazardous bottlenecks at entry points and resulted in a poor visitor experience, placing the city's World Heritage status at risk. The solution implemented, the "Respect the City" program, is a multi-disciplinary strategic initiative focused on managing visitor flow, not just volume. Here are couple of tools used for RTC:
AI-Powered Visitor Flow Management and Real-time Counting (system of counters and cameras monitors the actual number of people inside the Old City core); AI Forecasting: Machine learning algorithms predict future visitor numbers based on cruise schedules, bus reservations, and weather; Cruise Ship Regulation & Staggering:
The city was the first in the world to partner directly with the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) to implement a controlled schedule; Tour Operator Logistics Control- mandatory online reservation system was established for tour buses bringing day visitors and limiting the number of buses arriving every half-hour to prevent large,simultaneous dumps of tourists; Public Space & Resident Quality of Life Improvement: Public area permits for restaurant tables and illegal vendor stands were drastically reduced to clear bottlenecks and return space to pedestrians and residents.
The program has successfully shifted focus from short-term profit to long-term sustainability, reducing the negative impacts of overtourism and improving Dubrovnik's reputation globally.
AI-Powered Visitor Flow Management and Real-time Counting (system of counters and cameras monitors the actual number of people inside the Old City core); AI Forecasting: Machine learning algorithms predict future visitor numbers based on cruise schedules, bus reservations, and weather; Cruise Ship Regulation & Staggering:
The city was the first in the world to partner directly with the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) to implement a controlled schedule; Tour Operator Logistics Control- mandatory online reservation system was established for tour buses bringing day visitors and limiting the number of buses arriving every half-hour to prevent large,simultaneous dumps of tourists; Public Space & Resident Quality of Life Improvement: Public area permits for restaurant tables and illegal vendor stands were drastically reduced to clear bottlenecks and return space to pedestrians and residents.
The program has successfully shifted focus from short-term profit to long-term sustainability, reducing the negative impacts of overtourism and improving Dubrovnik's reputation globally.
This city is looking for
The ideal peer city for Dubrovnik’s EUI projects must embody three core competencies to accelerate our "Respect the City" goals: Regulatory Leadership, Smart Governance, and Resident-First Policy.
We seek a partner that has moved from reacting to proactively managing overtourism. The most important expertise includes:
Strong Regulatory Will : Proven political capacity to enforce hard limits on cruise ships and enact effective short-term rental caps to protect core social fabric. We need blueprints for navigating the legal and economic fallout of strict regulation.
Smart Flow Management: Expertise in deploying real-time sensor networks and AI to manage visitor density inside the historic walls, not just at entry.
QoL Preservation: Demonstrated success in creating resident-priority programs (housing subsidies, special access) to stop demographic flight and actively incentivize long-term living in the heritage zone.
Transferability: Solutions must be scalable and adaptable to our unique coastal topography and UNESCO constraints.
Our ultimate goal is to benchmark their transition from a "museum city" to a model of Balanced Tourism through data-driven governance and robust enforcement.
We seek a partner that has moved from reacting to proactively managing overtourism. The most important expertise includes:
Strong Regulatory Will : Proven political capacity to enforce hard limits on cruise ships and enact effective short-term rental caps to protect core social fabric. We need blueprints for navigating the legal and economic fallout of strict regulation.
Smart Flow Management: Expertise in deploying real-time sensor networks and AI to manage visitor density inside the historic walls, not just at entry.
QoL Preservation: Demonstrated success in creating resident-priority programs (housing subsidies, special access) to stop demographic flight and actively incentivize long-term living in the heritage zone.
Transferability: Solutions must be scalable and adaptable to our unique coastal topography and UNESCO constraints.
Our ultimate goal is to benchmark their transition from a "museum city" to a model of Balanced Tourism through data-driven governance and robust enforcement.
City size
Towns (< 50,000 inhabitants)
Author
NATASA MIRIC
Croatia
SENIOR ADVISOR
City of Dubrovnik
