The shortlist for the 2024 European Capital of Smart Tourism unveiled

Today, the European Commission announced the names of the six cities that have been shortlisted for the 2024 European Capital of Smart Tourism award. This esteemed honor will be granted to the city that demonstrates an extraordinary commitment to shaping the future of sustainable and innovative tourism. The award also aims to foster networking and the fortification of destinations while facilitating the exchange of best practices in this field.

From a pool of 30 candidates spanning 17 countries, the selected finalists for the European Capital of Smart Tourism are in alphabetical order, Bremerhaven (Germany), Cork (Ireland), Dublin (Ireland), Genoa (Italy), Helsingborg (Sweden), and San Sebastián (Spain).

The shortlist for the 2024 finalists now comprises six destinations, instead of the initially mentioned four, due to a tie score. You can access a brief profile of each of the shortlisted cities here.

Essen (Germany), Gdynia (Poland), Odense (Denmark), Padua (Italy), and Parma (Italy) are designated as runner-up cities.

Following this stage, the finalists will be invited to present their proposals to a European Jury, tasked with selecting the 2024 European Capital of Smart Tourism. The chosen city will receive extensive support in communication and branding. This includes the creation of a promotional video, installation of a hashtag sculpture for public exhibition in the city, and the implementation of tailored promotional campaigns aimed at boosting visibility at both the EU and global levels, ultimately resulting in an increase in the number of visitors.

The competition welcomed participation from cities within the European Union and non-EU countries that are eligible to the Single Market programme. An impartial panel of experts conducted a thorough evaluation of the applications, and those applicants who achieved the highest cumulative score across all categories successfully advanced.

Starting in 2018, the European Capital of Smart Tourism competition has provided a platform to highlight exceptional practices and achievements. The winners from previous editions include Seville and Pafos (2023), València and Bordeaux (2022), Málaga and Gothenburg (2020), and Helsinki and Lyon (2019). These cities have emerged as exemplary models for smart tourism in Europe, earning prominent international rankings for sustainability, innovation, quality of life, and the effective incorporation of smart strategies.