European Commission selects 16 finalists for 2027 Tourism Capitals

The European Commission has preselected 16 cities for the European Capitals of Tourism 2027 title. This new format merges the former Smart Tourism Capital and European Green Capital of Smart Tourism competitions. The selection process evaluated cities on sustainability, accessibility, digitalization, and support for local cultural heritage.

In Category 1, for cities with over 100,000 inhabitants, the eight finalists are Aalborg (Denmark), Braga (Portugal), Genoa (Italy), Konya (Turkey), Ljubljana (Slovenia), Lviv (Ukraine), Salzburg (Austria), and Sofia (Bulgaria).

In Category 2, for destinations with 25,000 to 100,000 inhabitants, the eight finalists are Calais (France), Calvià (Spain), Geestland (Germany), Ibiza (Spain), Nova Gorica (Slovenia), Sandanski (Bulgaria), Selçuk (Turkey), and Zadar (Croatia). Representatives from these cities will present their proposals to a European jury in Brussels on November 18 and 19, 2026.