Split, one of Croatia’s best-known summer party destinations, is moving to ban shops and off-licences from selling alcohol between 8pm and 6am. City councillors have proposed the restriction for zones dense with bars and all-night shops, after Croatia’s parliament passed a law letting local governments curb late-night retail alcohol. Bars and restaurants would be unaffected — you could still drink out, just not stock up at the corner shop at 2am. The aim is to protect residents from the disorder that heavy “party tourism” brings.
What stands out is the self-correction. A place that built its summer economy on nightlife is now actively dismantling part of the reputation that draws the crowds. Rather than chase ever more visitors, it is choosing which visitors — and which behaviour — it wants. As over-tourism bites, destinations are starting to defend liveability over volume, even at the cost of their own party brand.
So…:
Where might saying no to your loudest customers actually protect what makes you worth visiting?
Source: euronews.com
Picture: Berthold Werner / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)