European Commission announces 16 finalists for European Capitals of Tourism 2027

The European Commission has announced 16 finalists for the European Capitals of Tourism 2027 competition. This edition merges the previous European Capital of Smart Tourism and European Green Pioneer of Smart Tourism initiatives into a single title.

The competition is divided into two categories. In the first category, for cities with over 100,000 inhabitants, the finalists are Aalborg (Denmark), Braga (Portugal), Genoa (Italy), Konya (Turkey), Ljubljana (Slovenia), Lviv (Ukraine), Salzburg (Austria), and Sofia (Bulgaria).

The second category, for destinations with 25,000 to 100,000 inhabitants, includes Calais (France), Calvià (Spain), Geestland (Germany), Nova Gorica (Slovenia), Sandanski (Bulgaria), Selçuk (Turkey), Zadar (Croatia), and Ibiza (Spain). Due to high scores and tied results, the Commission expanded the number of finalists in each category to eight.

Candidates were evaluated on sustainability, accessibility, digitalization, and support for cultural heritage and local talent. Finalists will present their applications to a European jury in Brussels on November 18 and 19.