CITY OF SPLIT (CROATIA) – Looking to join consortium

The City of Split wants to develop sustainable tourism practices, and thus ensure that local community, especially the one in Old City Centre (OCC) and OCC buffer zone, is equipped with tools and knowledge to participate in more balanced tourism development that at the same time makes the way for enhanced tourism experience, as well as protection of environment and cultural heritage in the OCC. Establishing a balance between preservation of cultural heritage and the development of tourism, while safeguarding urban fabric of the city, is an imperative.
The first step taken by the City of Split in this matter is the establishment of a Coordination Council to monitor the implementation and update of the UNESCO World Heritage Management Plan “Historical Complex of Split with Diocletian’s Palace”. One of the activities foreseen in the Management Plan is formation of an Urban Centre (UC) in the area of the Old City Centre.
The UC is planned as a place where residents gather informally and directly influence the achievement of the strategic goals of the City of Split. Purpose of UC is improving life in the OCC. The UC encourages the City of Split to focus on the residents themselves, their quality of life, ecology and local economy, while providing tools for making meaningful connections with the visitors.

ABOUT CITY
City of Split is a local government organization responsible for managing economic development, communal, social and transport infrastructure and implements various political, social and development policies. It has 8 departments employing 388, with annual budget of 334.466.736 million euros (in 2024), office equipment, presentation hall, presentation equipment, communication equipment, maintenance and protection equipment.
In terms of this project proposal, the City Development Department is seen as vital for the development and implementation of this project. City Development Department is tasked with strategic projects preparation and implementation, and it also performs tasks related to strategic planning, proposing, and coordinating all development activities of the city. It is also responsible for monitoring and analysing the tourism development, providing guidelines for improving various forms of sustainable tourism, proposing funding sources for the tourism supply, and coordinating all stakeholders in the field of tourism.
City of Split has implemented multiple Interreg projects, as well as the projects from the other EU/national programs, and therefore City has great knowledge and trained personnel for the preparation and implementation of projects.

TOURISM IN CITY
Split is a destination that has the highest share of nights spent among all the city destinations in Croatia – in 2021, Split had a share of 2.9% in total numbers of overnight stays in Croatia, followed by the capital, Zagreb with 2.5% and city of Zadar with 2.2% (Eurostat, Croatian Bureau of Statistics – DZS).
Split, once seen as a transit or exclusively city break destination, is gradually reshaping itself as seen from the prolonged stay of visitors in the destination – number of nights spent per one arrival has grown from 2.21 in 2019 to 3.3 in 2022.
In conclusion, Split, with its Historical Complex of Split with the Palace of Diocletian as the living fabric of the city centre, being on the UNESCO World Heritage List since 1979, and considered Outstanding Universal Value – OUV, will continue to attract thousands of visitors every year. The efforts made in infrastructure, strategic planning and legislature on every level will take time to transition it from an overtourism destination to a new tourism destination. In the meantime, it is crucial to empower all the key stakeholders, with emphasis on the deprived local community in the Old City Centre (OCC), with the tools that make participatory approach to creation of new tourism possible.

CONTRIBUTION TO STRATEGIES AND POLICIES:
Development Strategy of the City of Split until 2030
UNESCO World Heritage Management Plan “Historical Complex of Split with Diocletian’s Palace” with an action plan enclosed
Green City Action Plan Split (GCAP Split)