The European Commission announces finalists for the 2026 European Capital and Green Pioneer of Smart Tourism, recognizing innovative, sustainable tourism cities.
BRUSSELS – 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).
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.
