Smart Tourism: New EU “European Capital and Green Pioneer of 2026” competitions open

Brussels – Once again this year, the European Commission is offering European tourist destinations a chance to gain prestigious recognition for their sustainability and smart tourism efforts.

By May 30 2025, interested cities must demonstrate their innovative tourism practices and submit an online application. The applications will then be evaluated by a committee of experts and later by a European Jury that will select two winners, the “European Capital of Smart Tourism 2026″ and the “European Green Pioneer of Smart Tourism 2026.” Countries eligible for the competition are the 27 EU members and non-EU countries participating in the Single Market program, namely Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Iceland, Kosovo, Liechtenstein, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Norway, Serbia, Turkey and Ukraine.

The 2026 European Capital title is for candidate cities with a population over 100,000, and there are four categories under consideration: sustainability, accessibility, digitization, cultural heritage and creativity. Last year’s edition (the sixth) saw Turin as the 2025 Capital, while previous years saw awards for Dublin, Pafos, Seville and Helsinki, among others.

On the other hand, the Green Pioneer 2026 award is designed for emerging sustainable tourism destinations, i.e., all cities with a population between 25,000 and 100,000 that have implemented strategies to promote sustainable tourism through green transition practices.

The proclamation will take place this November. In addition to the titles, the winning cities will receive support for their branding and communication activities in 2026, a large sculpture in the shape of a hashtag to be installed in a prominent location, various promotional activities, and European and international visibility. Winners will also have the opportunity to join an active and growing network that brings together smart destinations selected as finalists in previous editions of the competition to share best tourism practices and learn from each other.