BBC highlights Dubrovnik as a city that has managed to curb overtourism
In the 'People Fixing the World' podcast, Dubrovnik was featured alongside Copenhagen as an example of sustainable urban development and visitor management.
In the 'People Fixing the World' podcast, Dubrovnik was featured alongside Copenhagen as an example of sustainable urban development and visitor management.
Dubrovnik has received significant international recognition for its efforts in combating overtourism. The BBC World Service, in its program People Fixing the World, singled out the Croatian city as an example of a place that has begun to address the consequences of mass tourism through concrete measures-a problem that has burdened the daily lives of its residents for years.
The program featured Mato Franković, the mayor, and Jelka Tepšić, who serves as an advisor for culture and tourism. The interview with BBC journalist Claire Bates was recorded in early June 2026, when she visited Dubrovnik to see firsthand how the city's measures work in practice.
The BBC particularly emphasized Dubrovnik's shift away from the traditional policy that measures tourism success solely by the number of arrivals and overnight stays. Over the past few years, the city administration has sought to reduce the pressure caused by large numbers of tourists, better distribute their movement, and ensure normal living conditions for permanent residents.
Journalist Bates noted that during her stay, she personally saw the positive effects of such a strategy. She was particularly drawn to the use of artificial intelligence and digital systems to monitor visitor movements.
A significant part of the program was dedicated to housing in the historic core. The city exercises its right of first refusal on certain apartments, renovates its own properties, and makes them available to young families and those with multiple children. These measures aim to halt the long-standing trend of local residents moving away from an area heavily impacted by apartmentization and high property prices.
Silvana Bjelovučić, principal of the Marin Getaldić Elementary School, also spoke about daily life within the old city walls. The number of students attending the school and its very existence are key indicators of whether the historic core is still a living part of the city or gradually becoming a backdrop intended solely for tourist visits.
In the program, Dubrovnik was presented alongside Copenhagen, one of the internationally recognized examples of sustainable urban development. Such a comparison brings useful publicity, but it also raises expectations. The real success of the Dubrovnik model will not be measured by the number of positive media reports, but by the number of families that will remain living within the walls and the number of citizens for whom tourism will not take away their hometown.
