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

Summary Kraków, a historic Polish city listed on the UNESCO World Heritage List, is grappling with the phenomenon of hypertrophy known as overtourism. In 2024, Kraków was visited by nearly 15 million people. Tourism in Kraków accounts for 8% of GDP and creates 40,000 jobs, but while generating revenue, it also has negative impacts on the perceived quality of life among its residents. Over the past decade, the historic districts have shifted from residential to commercial. The city centre, gradually gentrifying and devoid of permanent residents, has become a “tourist theatre”. In 2020, the local government adopted a sustainable tourism policy strategy, which aims to neutralise the negative influence of overtourism. A strategic solution for Kraków is to focus on welcoming more affluent tourists and developing and organizing congresses while effectively managing areas such as the night-time economy, short-term rentals (STR), visitor dispersion, respect for locality and responsible behaviour, and the city’s reputation and identity. In this case study, examples are given of actions taken to balance tourism development. Information © The Authors 2025