Sustainability Tourism Policy as a Tool to Minimise the Negative Effects of Overtourism: Case – UNESCO City of Kraków

Kraków faces significant challenges due to overtourism, with nearly 15 million visitors in 2024. While tourism contributes 8% to the city's GDP and supports 40,000 jobs, it has led to negative impacts on residents' quality of life and the transformation of historic districts into commercial zones. To address these issues, the local government implemented a sustainable tourism policy strategy in 2020, focusing on attracting affluent tourists, developing congresses, and managing areas such as night-time economy, short-term rentals, visitor dispersion, respect for locality, responsible behavior, and city reputation. This case study provides examples of actions taken to balance tourism development, offering insights into effective strategies for minimizing the negative effects of overtourism in UNESCO-listed cities.

Kruczek, Z., Walas, B., & Matyasik, J. (2025). Sustainability Tourism Policy as a Tool to Minimise the Negative Effects of Overtourism: Case – UNESCO City of Kraków. Tourism Cases. https://doi.org/10.1079/tourism.2025.0047