Dubrovnik City Walls revenue powers restorations

Published on Aug 22, 2025, 11:23 am CDT

6 min read

As visitor numbers surge in 2025, Dubrovnik is turning ticket income from its most popular attractions into a conservation engine. Revenue from the Dubrovnik City Walls and the nearby Walls of Ston is being routed to the Society of Friends of Dubrovnik Antiquities, funding active restorations from Ston's Koruna Fortress to historic rector's palaces across the region. Officials say the model eases pressure on fragile sites by investing in maintenance, access, and long-term preservation.

Key Points

Why it matters: Ticket income is directly funding conservation projects across the former Republic's heritage network.
Travel impact: Upkeep, safe access, and wayfinding improve as the Walls of Ston absorb more demand from Old Town.
What's next: Koruna Fortress in Ston is slated to reopen for the 2026 summer season.
2025 visits to the Dubrovnik City Walls are nearing 500,000.
The split allocates 60 percent of net ticket revenue to the city, 40 percent to DPDS for restorations.

Snapshot

Nearly half a million travelers have walked the Dubrovnik City Walls so far in 2025, with July alone topping 137,000 entries. Ston, about one hour northwest by road, logged a record July with visits up roughly 10 percent year over year, easing crowding in Dubrovnik's Old Town while spreading economic benefits. Funds flow through two channels, direct tickets and the Dubrovnik Pass, then into a 60, 40 split between the City of Dubrovnik and the Society of Friends of Dubrovnik Antiquities, known locally as DPDS. In 2024, DPDS reported more than €8 million combined from pass and ticket sales. After taxes and operating costs, surpluses finance restoration and site upgrades, including at Lopud and Janjina.

Background

DPDS has maintained the fortifications for decades, with a formal revenue-sharing framework that assigns 60 percent of net walls income to the city and 40 percent to the society. The structure aligns incentives, since keeping the walls safe and attractive sustains both visitation and preservation. In 2024, DPDS reported about €4.8 million from direct ticket sales and about €3.6 million from Dubrovnik Pass entries, funding projects across the former Republic of Ragusa. Current work spans masonry stabilization, improved visitor paths and railings, and interior refurbishments that prepare lesser-known sites for public access. That pipeline includes the Koruna Fortress at Ston, the Mala Kuća near the Rector's Palace on Lopud Island, and Janjina's Rector's Palace on the Pelješac Peninsula.

Latest Developments

City Walls near 500,000 visits, Ston sets a July record

By mid-August, the Dubrovnik City Walls had recorded 496,695 entries in 2025, roughly half via the Dubrovnik Pass. July's peak day exceeded 6,000 walks along the ramparts. The Walls of Ston posted their strongest month on record, with July traffic up around 10 percent from 2024 and total visits tracking toward a banner year. Local leaders highlight Ston's growth as evidence that more travelers are exploring beyond Old Town, a trend that supports conservation goals and diversifies the visitor footprint. Operators emphasize that reinvestment in railings, steps, and signage is continuous, helping the walls withstand heavy footfall while preserving historic fabric.

Works advance at Koruna, Lopud, and Janjina

One of the year's marquee projects is the restoration of the Koruna Fortress overlooking Mali Ston, targeted to open in time for the 2026 tourist season. On Lopud Island, the refurbishment of the Mala Kuća is underway to integrate the building with the nearby Rector's Palace complex, enhancing the island's cultural circuit. In Janjina, the Rector's Palace is moving toward technical inspection and a usage permit, key steps before opening to visitors. DPDS says surplus funds are split between strategic projects like these and the routine maintenance that keeps open monuments safe and visitable.

Balearic eco-tax shows scale of destination funding

Across the Mediterranean, the Balearic Islands continue to channel their Sustainable Tourism Tax into restoration, environmental, and water-cycle projects. In July 2025, the regional government ratified allocations of €376,988,790.52 across 79 initiatives drawn from 2024 and 2025 receipts. Two-thirds of the funds target environmental and water infrastructure. Although Dubrovnik does not levy a stay-based eco-tax of this kind, officials view the Balearic program as a complementary model for reliably financing conservation and resident-focused improvements alongside ticket-based revenue sharing.

Analysis

Dubrovnik's approach uses traveler demand to underwrite its most vulnerable assets, a pragmatic answer to overtourism concerns that sidesteps blanket restrictions. The 60, 40 revenue split ensures stable municipal funding while preserving a dedicated stream for hands-on conservation through DPDS. Performance so far in 2025, with City Walls visits near the 500,000 mark and Ston's record July, suggests that dispersal tactics are working. As the Walls of Ston attract more travelers, pressure eases on Old Town's tight lanes and on the ramparts' narrow stairways. The key risk is capacity. Improvements like timed entries, shaded waiting areas, and clearly marked one-way flows will matter as peak-season days crest above 6,000 wall walkers. Compared with destination-wide taxes, Dubrovnik's ticket-tethered model is transparent to travelers and immediately traceable to projects, while the Balearics show how a broad eco-levy can bankroll island-scale fixes. The strongest systems blend both, pairing site-level revenue with region-wide funds for water, transit, and climate resilience.

Final Thoughts

For cultural travelers, Dubrovnik's fortifications remain a must-see, but the story now includes smart reinvestment. If Koruna opens as planned for summer 2026, the Ston circuit will become an even better relief valve for peak Old Town days, with Lopud and Janjina adding depth to the region's heritage trail. Keep an eye on practical upgrades, from handrails to step repairs, as DPDS channels surpluses back into the field. The model is simple, visible, and sustainable, and it ends where it begins, on the stones under your feet along the Dubrovnik City Walls.