Located in southern Croatia, Dubrovnik is a popular tourist destination on the Mediterranean coast, whose natural beauty forced even a polemicist like the Irish playwright George Bernard Shaw to call it 'paradise on earth'. Apart from being rich in history, the city became a talking point after the hit TV series Game Of Thrones. Dubrovnik served as the fictional capital of 'King' Landing'. Several sequences of the show were filmed here, leading to throngs of tourists descending on the Croatian city. This has resulted in several measures over the past few years to control over-tourism and its fallouts.The latest is a ban on suitcases with wheels.
Residents have complained about noise pollution caused by tourists dragging suitcases through the city's iconic stone-paved and cobblestone alleys, saying that it creates a disturbance and also keeps them awake at night. As a result, Mato Frankovi, the mayor of Dubrovnik, has recently announced a ban on wheeled suitcases due to the noise they produce in the streets of this historical city, according to reports in SchengenVisaInfo. This means that beginning this summer, all wheeled suitcases will have to be carried rather than rolled. According to local reports, the government aims to implement a system in which passengers would be required to deposit their luggage outside of the city. Beginning November 2023, the municipality will install mandatory lockers at many locations throughout the city where luggage is prohibited. Couriers will transport the bags to the places where tourists are staying.
In The Past
These actions are part of the Dubrovnik Tourist Office's "Respect the City" programme. Those caught flouting the rules will face a hefty fine. Dubrovnik also has rules prohibiting visitors from walking about the ancient city shirtless or in swimwear. Bikinis, trunks and underwear are also prohibited in public locations. Those who violate the rules face fines of up to &euro150.
This is not the first time that Dubrovnik has sought to place curbs on tourists. Be it Bali, Venice, or even Dubrovnik, for that matter, cities around the world are struggling to deal with over-tourism. One of the most heatedly debated issues in the modern age, in terms of travel and tourism, the crisis of over-tourism has been making headlines time and again.
In November 2019, owing to overcrowding from a massive influx of tourists, the mayor of Dubrovnik proposed a ban on restaurants adding tables and chairs outside. As per reports, after the enforcement of the ban, even if a restaurant closes, a new one will not be able to take its place. However, this step did not come as a surprise. In 2018, UNESCO warned city officials to keep a check on the number of tourists entering Dubrovnik, especially on cruise ships. The mayor had also put a 4,000-person limit on the number of tourists allowed to enter the old town at any given time.
You can check here for more info on rules pertaining to tourists in Dubrovnik.
Cover photo credit Shutterstock
