European Commission Announces Shortlist for the 2026 European Capital & Green Pioneer of Smart Tourism Awards

BRUSSELS, Sept. 3, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, the European Commission revealed the finalists for the 2026 European Capital and Green Pioneer of Smart Tourism competitions. These awards recognise cities that demonstrate an exceptional commitment to smart and sustainable tourism, promote networking and the exchange of best practices to boost tourism innovation across Europe.

European Capital of Smart Tourism 2026 – Smart gets you further

From a pool of 32 candidates from 12 countries, 7 cities have been shortlisted for the 2026 European Capital of Smart Tourism award. Listed in alphabetical order, the finalists are: Braga (Portugal), Bruges (Belgium), Brussels (Belgium), Genoa (Italy), Leipzig (Germany), Regensburg (Germany), Tampere (Finland). 

European Green Pioneer of Smart Tourism 2026 – Green leads the way

In the 2026 European Green Pioneer of Smart Tourism competition, 8 cities were selected from 26 applicant destinations across 18 countries, recognising their exceptional contributions to sustainable tourism. The finalists, listed alphabetically, are: Dubrovnik (Croatia), Geestland (Germany), Ibiza (Spain), Laois (Ireland), Mariagerfjord (Denmark), Marmaris (Türkiye), Rebild (Denmark), Tartu (Estonia).

A short profile of each shortlisted city can be found here. Due to the high quality of applications and several cities being tied in the evaluation, the shortlists for both competitions have been extended from four to seven and eight destinations, respectively. All finalists will present their proposals to a European jury on 18 and 19 November 2025 in Brussels. The winners of the 2026 European Capital and Green Pioneer of Smart Tourism awards will then 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, installation of a hashtag sculpture in the city, and implementation of tailored promotional campaigns to increase visibility at EU and global levels.

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 Torino (2025), 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. Benidorm (Spain) was selected as the 2025 European Green Pioneer of Smart Tourism, and Grosseto (Italy) won the title in 2024.

The 'Leading Examples of Smart and Sustainable Tourism Practices in Europe' reports and the EU Smart Tourism Podcast series highlight key insights from previous winners and finalists, fostering knowledge-sharing across the region.

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For further press information, please contact:  

EU Smart Tourism Secretariat: 
Sandra Bumbar-Malchow | [email protected] | +49 (0) 30 70 01 86 390

SOURCE European Capital and Green Pioneer of Smart Tourism