Valencia and Bordeaux are the 2022 European Capitals of Smart Tourism

They won in competition with 30 other cities from the continent

Bordeaux (France) and Valencia (Spain) are the EU’s new Capitals of Smart Tourism for 2022. Representatives from the two cities will receive the official award at a formal ceremony during the European Tourism Forum in Brussels on 16 November.

The European Union initiative, taking place thanks to financing from the COSME Programme, seeks to recognize exceptional performance and achievements of European cities in the field of tourism. More specifically, there are four categories that jury uses to evaluate the candidate cities: Accessibility, Sustainability, Digitalisation, and Cultural heritage and creativity.

Smart tourism is about rethinking how we do tourism

In total, 30 cities from across 16 countries competed, out of which 7 shortlisted cities were invited to present their candidatures in front of the European Jury.

Bordeaux and Valencia impressed the European Jury not only with their remarkable achievements across all four categories of the competition but also with the outstanding programmes of activities they intend to execute during 2022, as well as their notable capacity to act as a role model for other cities.

The two cities are well-known on the travel scene, as they form part of two of the most-visited countries in the world. They are home to World Heritage Sites, world-class architecture and cuisine, however, the commonality between the two is that the local actors involved in the tourism sectors there are not relying only on past glories and affirmed brand. If anything, given the high competition for the tourist’s money on a national level has led them to work hard on forging new services and infrastructure that appeal to the tastes of today.

The two European Capitals of Smart Tourism will benefit from communication and branding support during 2022. This will include a promotional video, a purpose-built sculpture for their city centres, as well as bespoke promotional actions designed to raise the profile of the awarded cities and boost visitor numbers.