As part of a campaign to reduce noise and foster more responsible tourism in Dubrovnik, Croatia, visitors to the old city will no longer be able to roll their luggage on the stone-paved streets.
Dubrovnik, one of the most prominent tourist destinations in Croatia and the Mediterranean, bans tourists from rolling their suitcases in the Old Town. This rule is part of a series of measures from the city to reduce tourist nuisances.
Thousands of travelers visit Dubrovnik every year, the Croatian “Pearl of the Adriatic” situated on the Dalmatian coast popular for its picturesque medieval architecture and fortified old town.
But while the historic center is a pedestrian zone to enjoy walking on the limestone-paved Stradun and narrow alleys, many tourists come with their luggage that rolls on the pavement.
Dubrovnik Mayor Mato Franković told Croatian newspapers that the city now bans travelers from rolling their suitcases in the old town as part of a move to “bring order” with tourism more cognizant of local life.
According to the mayor, residents of the old city complained about the noise of the suitcases rolling at night.
So, for this summer season, visitors must carry their bags and avoid rolling the wheels on the stone-paved streets.
And from November, a new facility is expected to be built for visitors to leave their luggage behind before entering the historical city for someone to deliver them to their address.
The tourists “will leave their bags at the designated point, and we will, of course, for a fee, bring their things to the address where they will stay. It is just the beginning, the ultimate goal is to create a logistics center within the airport, after which all the luggage of Dubrovnik visitors will be transported from Čilipi [Dubrovnik airport] directly to the guests’ addresses,” Mr. Franković told Jutarnji List.
Last week, the mayor closed the terrace of a famous bar in Stradun, Drubovnik’s main street, because of the noise it made at night. Authorities calculated the bar would lose 70,000 euros (75,000 dollars) a year without the terrace and that other restaurants should expect the same if they are too noisy.
The city has started measuring noise in the streets and hired several companies to measure it without being recognized by restaurateurs.
Dubrovnik also plans on managing deliveries in the old town better. At the moment, deliveries in the historic center are only allowed between 5:00 AM and 7:30 AM with at most ten vehicles simultaneously. But authorities plan to acquire electric vehicles and directly be in charge of deliveries.
According to Mr. Franković, the first electric vehicle will arrive this month.
Dubrovnik Tourism Board also released an animated video called “Respect the city” explaining that tourists can’t have their dogs unleashed, walk shirtless, leave empty bottles and cigarette butts in the streets, etc.
The video is being shown on Croatia Airlines flights and cruise ships, and the city hopes to broadcast it on other airlines with routes to Dubrovnik.
The city doesn’t plan to punish tourists for the wheel suitcases with a fine, but hopes an educational approach will bear fruit. Dubrovnik officials foresee the problems with wheeled bags and the deliveries will be solved in two years, which coincides with the next local elections.
Sewage network renovation and a new parking lot are also projects to change the experience in one of the famous filming locations of the Game of Thrones series.
“The most important is that Dubrovnik stops being a city of excessive tourism, although we still have a lot of work left,” said the mayor.
