Published on
August 22, 2025
Croatia Tourism is increasingly seen as both a boon and a challenge for heritage-rich destinations. Dubrovnik, a city globally renowned for its medieval walls and stunning Old Town, stands at the forefront of a revolutionary movement in sustainable tourism. With record-breaking visitor numbers this year, Dubrovnik has cleverly turned the tide of overtourism into an opportunity for heritage preservation. Revenue generated from popular tourist sites like the City Walls is being reinvested into safeguarding its historic monuments, including the revered Koruna Fortress in Ston and the Rector’s Palace on Lopud Island. This strategy offers a roadmap for other destinations facing similar tourism pressures.
Dubrovnik’s efforts echo similar initiatives across Europe, including in the Balearic Islands, where eco-taxes fund environmental preservation. The growing trend of using tourist revenue to protect cultural landmarks is gaining traction, offering both economic benefits and a model for sustainable tourism. As tourists flock to these destinations, they unwittingly help preserve the very heritage they come to admire. This approach exemplifies the harmony between preserving cultural heritage and sustaining tourism, ensuring that future generations can enjoy the beauty of these historic treasures.
Tourism and Heritage Preservation: A Growing Trend
In cities like Dubrovnik, tourism is no longer just a source of income but also a critical tool for funding preservation efforts. Dubrovnik’s success in using visitor revenue for heritage conservation projects sets an important precedent. Several key initiatives across Europe now focus on using tourism to fund long-term sustainability projects. These include preserving monuments, restoring old castles, and maintaining environmentally fragile areas. This model has been adopted by cities like Dubrovnik and expanded to regions across Europe, providing a balanced approach to overtourism.
Key Benefits of Using Tourism Revenue for Heritage Preservation:
Sustainability: Helps manage the environmental and social impacts of tourism.Cultural Protection: Ensures that revenue is directed toward preserving and restoring heritage sites.Economic Growth: Generates funds that support the local economy while safeguarding the future of cultural landmarks.Engagement: Allows tourists to directly contribute to the preservation of the destinations they visit.Dubrovnik’s City Walls and Ston: Key Heritage Sites Funded by Tourism
Dubrovnik’s City Walls are one of the most visited attractions in the city, with over half a million visitors in 2025 alone. The Walls of Ston, known for their historical significance and grandeur, are similarly seeing unprecedented numbers of visitors. This surge in tourism has allowed Dubrovnik’s Society of Friends of Dubrovnik Antiquities (DPDS) to channel substantial revenue into heritage conservation.
The funds generated through ticket sales (including the popular Dubrovnik Pass) are shared between the City of Dubrovnik and the DPDS. The revenue allows the DPDS to fund extensive preservation and restoration projects throughout the region. The DPDS invested over €8 million in 2024 from ticket sales, supporting key projects like the restoration of the Koruna Fortress in Ston and refurbishing the Rector’s Palace on Lopud Island.
How Tourism Revenue Supports Preservation:
Direct Ticket Sales: A portion of every ticket sold goes towards maintaining and restoring Dubrovnik’s most iconic sites.DPDS Investment: The DPDS manages the majority of the revenue, ensuring that funds are used efficiently for conservation efforts.Strategic Use of Funds: Money raised is divided between new projects and ongoing maintenance of existing sites, ensuring long-term sustainability.Sustainable Tourism Initiatives Beyond Dubrovnik
While Dubrovnik’s model is at the forefront, other destinations are adopting similar strategies to use tourism revenue for environmental and cultural preservation. The Balearic Islands, including Ibiza and Mallorca, introduced an eco-tax in 2016 to combat the negative effects of tourism on their ecosystems. This tax funds various sustainability projects, with nearly €377 million earmarked for environmental preservation in 2025. Despite initial resistance from hoteliers and travel companies, the eco-tax is now widely regarded as a success, with its proceeds directed to maintaining fragile island ecosystems.
Likewise, Slovenia uses tourism funds to support revitalization projects at national parks, castles, and other cultural sites. In particular, projects like the renovation of castle structures and the development of cultural products such as themed trails and virtual reality experiences help maintain the country’s cultural heritage.
Key Examples of Sustainable Tourism Funding:
Balearic Islands: Eco-tax revenue directed toward environmental conservation and heritage projects.Slovenia: Funding to preserve national parks, castles, and other historical sites.Croatia: Dubrovnik’s model offers a comprehensive approach to heritage conservation funded by tourism.Challenges and Opportunities in Heritage Tourism
The success of destinations like Dubrovnik highlights the potential for tourism to benefit both the economy and cultural heritage, but it also underscores the challenges of managing high visitor numbers. Overtourism can put immense pressure on fragile ecosystems and historical landmarks, threatening their preservation. However, Dubrovnik’s model demonstrates that when managed correctly, tourism can become a tool for sustainability rather than a threat.
The key lies in ensuring that the economic benefits of tourism directly contribute to conservation efforts. A strong collaboration between local governments, non-profit organizations like the DPDS, and private tourism companies is essential. Furthermore, transparency in how funds are allocated is crucial to maintaining the trust and engagement of tourists.
Challenges of Over-tourism and Heritage Preservation:
Environmental Impact: High visitor numbers can harm ecosystems and natural landscapes.Cultural Erosion: Excessive tourism can lead to the degradation of historical monuments and cultural sites.Local Community Strain: The influx of tourists can strain local infrastructure and disrupt daily life for residents.A Future Model for Sustainable Heritage Tourism
As more destinations look to replicate Dubrovnik’s model, several lessons can be drawn. First, the collaboration between tourism revenue streams and cultural preservation projects is essential for long-term sustainability. Second, destinations need to adopt eco-tax schemes or similar initiatives to ensure that the negative effects of tourism are mitigated. Lastly, public awareness is crucial—tourists must be made aware of the direct impact their visits have on the preservation of heritage sites.
Steps for Other Destinations to Consider:
Adopting Eco-taxes: Implement a tax that funds environmental and historical preservation projects.Collaborative Models: Foster partnerships between governments, NGOs, and the private sector to allocate tourism revenue effectively.Educational Campaigns: Encourage tourists to support sustainable tourism efforts by raising awareness about the benefits of their visits.Conclusion
Dubrovnik’s innovative approach to using tourism revenue for heritage conservation presents a promising future for both cultural preservation and sustainable tourism. As destinations around the world continue to face the pressures of overtourism, this model offers a clear and actionable path forward. By reinvesting tourism revenue into preserving cultural and natural treasures, cities like Dubrovnik, the Balearic Islands, and Slovenia are ensuring that their rich heritage endures for future generations while promoting responsible tourism practices. As more destinations follow suit, sustainable tourism could become the key to maintaining the world’s most cherished cultural landmarks for years to come.
