BRUSSELS, Sept. 15, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Today, the European Commission unveils the shortlist of destinations advancing in the European Capitals of Tourism 2027 competition. Following an extensive independent expert evaluation of applications submitted from across Europe, sixteen cities have been selected to progress to the next stage, where they will present their candidatures in front of the European jury. The 2027 edition marks a new chapter for the competition, bringing the former European Capital and Green Pioneer of Smart Tourism competitions together under the new European Capitals of Tourism title.
Cities were assessed on their innovative practices in sustainability, accessibility, digitalisation, and support to cultural heritage, creativity and local talent. The shortlisted destinations represent a diverse cross-section of Europe’s tourism landscape showcasing leading examples of European smart and sustainable tourism.
- Category 1 (cities with over 100,000 inhabitants) received applications from 43 cities across 18 countries. The following eight cities have been shortlisted in the category: Aalborg (Denmark), Braga (Portugal), Genoa (Italy), Konya (Türkiye), Ljubljana (Slovenia), Lviv (Ukraine), Salzburg (Austria), Sofia (Bulgaria).
- Category 2 (cities with 25,000 to 100,000 inhabitants) saw 40 cities from 17 countries apply. The following eight smaller destinations have been shortlisted in the category recognising leadership in sustainable tourism: Calais (France), Calvià (Spain), Geestland (Germany), Ibiza (Spain), Nova Gorica (Slovenia), Sandanski (Bulgaria), Selçuk (Türkiye), Zadar (Croatia).
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 eight destinations respectively. Representatives from all sixteen shortlisted cities will be invited to present their proposals to the European jury on 18 and 19 November 2026 in Brussels. Following these presentations, the jury will announce two winners of the ‘European Capital of Tourism 2027’ title.
The competition was open to EU cities and to non-EU countries participating in the Single Market Programme (SMP). For more information on the evaluation criteria and next steps, please refer to the respective European Capital of Tourism – Guide for Applicants:
- For cities above 100,000 inhabitants, please refer to the European Capital of Tourism – Guide for Applicants.
- For smaller destinations, please refer to the European Capital of Tourism – Guide for Applicants.
For all the latest updates on the European Capitals of Tourism initiative, follow us on our website, LinkedIn and subscribe to our Podcast series on Spotify and Amazon Music.
Contact:
European Capitals of Tourism Secretariat:
info@smarttourismcapital.eu, +49 (0) 30 16 63 53 022
View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/european-commission-announces-shortlisted-cities-for-european-capitals-of-tourism-2027-302879170.html
