European Commission Reveals 2025 Finalists for European Capital and Green Pioneer of Smart Tourism Awards

BRUSSELS, Sept. 23, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, the European Commission revealed the finalists for the 2025 European Capital and Green Pioneer of Smart Tourism competitions. The awards recognise cities that demonstrate exceptional commitment to smart and sustainable tourism, and promote networking and the exchange of best practices to boost tourism innovation across Europe.

European Capital of Smart Tourism 2025 – Smart gets you further

From a pool of 21 candidates across 10 countries, seven cities have been shortlisted for the 2025 European Capital of Smart Tourism. Listed in alphabetical order, the finalists are: Brussels (Belgium), Genoa (Italy), Konya (Türkiye), Lahti (Finland), Lviv (Ukraine), Porto (Portugal), and Torino (Italy).

European Green Pioneer of Smart Tourism 2025 – Green leads the way

In the 2025 European Green Pioneer of Smart Tourism competition, seven cities were selected from 16 applicant destinations for their outstanding contributions to sustainability in tourism. The finalists, listed alphabetically, are: Aveiro (Portugal), Benidorm (Spain), Jurmala (Latvia), Liepāja (Latvia), Nea Propontida (Greece), Panevėžys (Lithuania), Sliven (Bulgaria). 

A short profile of each shortlisted city can be found here.

The shortlists for both competitions have been extended from the initial four to seven destinations due to the high quality of applications, with several cities tied in the evaluation. All finalists will present their proposals to a European jury on 26 and 27 November 2024, after which the 2025 European Capital and the Green Pioneer of Smart Tourism will be selected.

Both initiatives are open to cities in the European Union and non-EU countries participating in the Single Market Programme. A rigorous evaluation process led by independent experts identified the top scoring cities, which have now been shortlisted.

What's in it for the winners?

The winning cities will receive extensive communication and branding support. This will include the creation of a promotional video, the installation of a hashtag sculpture in the city, and the implementation of tailored promotional campaigns aimed at increasing visibility at both the EU and global level.

About the Initiative

Launched in 2018, the European Capital of Smart Tourism competition aims to highlight cities that excel in accessibility, digitalisation, sustainability, and cultural heritage and creativity. Previous winners include Dublin (2024), Seville and Pafos (2023), València and Bordeaux (2022), Málaga and Gothenburg (2020) and Helsinki and Lyon (2019). The European Green Pioneer of Smart Tourism, introduced as the successor to the European Destinations of Excellence (EDEN) competition, focuses on promoting smaller sustainable tourism destinations. Grosseto (Italy) has been selected as the 2024 European Green Pioneer of Smart Tourism.

Reports such as "Leading Examples of Smart and Sustainable Tourism Practices in Europe" and the EU Smart Tourism Podcast series also highlight key insights from previous winners and finalists, fostering knowledge-sharing across the region.

To keep up to date with the latest developments in the European Capital and Green Pioneer of Smart Tourism, follow us on our website, Facebook, or X. You can also subscribe to our podcast series on Spotify and Amazon Music. 

For further press information, please contact:
European Smart Tourism Secretariat
Antigoni Avgeropoulou, info@SmartTourismCapital.eu, +49 (0) 30 70 01 86 390