Dubrovnik was well-known international because the atmosphere for King’s Touchdown in Sport of Thrones. The display filmed the “stroll of disgrace” scene with Cersei Lannister at the Jesuit Steps in 2014. The eye became town of 41,500 citizens into a significant vacation spot. However this repute introduced a prime worth within the form of temporary leases.
Strolling during the Previous The city in summer season looks like visiting a theme park. Crowds fill each nook. Costs are prime. Unique native lifestyles has pale. Neighbors hardly chat from open home windows or argue about day by day issues. Citizens name town an “open-air museum.” Sport of Thrones souvenirs substitute the historical past of poets, engineers, and diplomats.
Tourism drives the Croatian financial system and makes up about 20% of GDP. This determine is double the speed in Italy. The rustic gained over 21.8 million vacationers in 2025. Those guests accounted for greater than 110 million in a single day remains. The selection of vacationers is 5 occasions the inhabitants of three.8 million. This ratio is upper than Spain’s. Income from international guests doubled in recent times in comparison to 2016 and the expansion continues.
However this luck has uncomfortable side effects. Quick-term leases like Airbnb drove up the housing prices. Locals like docs, lecturers, and firefighters can’t have enough money houses in Dubrovnik, Break up, or Zadar. Inflation may be prime. The Harmonized Index of Shopper Costs hit 4.3% in November 2025. This price used to be above the euro space moderate and made dwelling prices tougher to control.
The federal government and native officers took motion. They center of attention on high quality tourism fairly than extra vacationers. Additionally they need the business to improve the group.
Key projects come with:
Strict laws for temporary leases. The Hospitality Legislation modified in early 2025. It separates circle of relatives hosts from industrial companies. The regulation calls for strict registration and a few taxes are upper. House owners want consent from neighbors in condo constructions. Those adjustments push house owners towards long-term rentals.
The effects glance just right to this point. Personal vacationer beds dropped by way of over 2,000 within the 2025 top season in comparison to the 12 months sooner than. Between 3,000 and three,600 house owners switched to long-term leases. Lengthy-term contracts rose by way of about 11–14%.
Cruise send controls in Dubrovnik. The town permits best two ships to reach on the identical time. Most effective 4,000 passengers can input the Previous The city directly. Ships will have to keep for no less than 8 hours. Ships with greater than 4,000 folks will have to keep for 12 hours. This spreads out the crowds. It additionally stops fast visits that clog the streets however carry little cash.
Customer control. Other people will have to e-book on-line to stroll at the town partitions. This rule will practice absolutely by way of 2026. It prevents unexpected crowds. The “Admire the Town” marketing campaign is helping too. Officers plan new housing for younger households within the suburbs. Inspectors test that those houses keep residential.
The Ministry of Tourism is aware of that different towns and islands face equivalent issues in the summertime. High Minister Andrej Plenković warned towards prime costs. He said that overcharging hurts Croatia’s popularity because the vacationers write opinions right away.
Officers center of attention on strict tracking and looking at the information. They would like the vacationer season to last more than simply the summer season. Imposing laws is tricky. However the purpose is to make town livable once more. They need to carry again the native way of life and group.
Whether or not those steps be triumphant will make a decision if town recovers. Dubrovnik turns into a full of life house fairly than a sophisticated degree set for vacationers. Croatia balances financial enlargement with the wishes of citizens. This experiment provides courses for different crowded locations around the globe.
