How are the winners selected?
> Evaluation Step 1
All submitted, admissible and eligible applications are evaluated against a set of established criteria by a panel of independent experts. The evaluation by the independent experts determines which cities are the best performers. Moreover, on the basis of their evaluation, the Commission establishes a shortlist of cities that are invited to present their candidatures in front of a European Jury.
> Evaluation Step 2
In the second evaluation step, representatives of the finalist cities present their candidatures and the programme of activities planned for their title year in front of the European Jury.
Meet our independent experts
Director at Sano Touring Experience S.R.L. and Travel Agency Manager in the department Accessible Romania by Sano Touring. President at Asociata Ced Romania Centrul de Excelenta Prin Diversitate, fields if interest: inclusion, accessibility, vulnerable groups.
President at NO LIMITS (Association for Promoting Accessible Tourism in Croatia). The association promotes accessible tourism for people with disabilities and other people with special needs.
Professor of Tourism, Anadolu University, specialist in social entrepreneurship, rural tourism, and destination marketing. Renowned for his deep understanding of social entrepreneurship within the tourism sector.
Member of the ENAT Board of Directors. Marco Pizzio is Head of Social and Accessible Tourism at AISM (Italian Multiple Sclerosis Society) and since June 2016 member of the Board of Directors of ENAT (European Network for Accessible Tourism).
Full Professor at the Department of Tourism and Service Management, Modul University Vienna and Research Associate at the Centre for Sustainable Tourism at the University of Sustainable Development Eberswalde
International Rural Development & Sustainable Tourism Consultant and Assistant Professor at Faculty of Tourism University of Maribor, Slovenia.
Sustainable Tourism Consultant, specialising in sustainable hospitality, agritourism and ecotourism projects, with over 20 years of experience in marketing and auditing accommodations and destinations.
International Expert in Sustainable Tourism Development; Tourism Marketing Consultant. Over 25 years of international experience with EU, UNWTO, EBRD, and various national tourism boards.
Assistant Professor, Department of Tourism, Matej Bel University. Specialist in sustainable tourism, urban development, and economic growth, with significant contributions to academic and practical research.
Expert in Cultural and Tourism Development and Urban Policies + Economist with 25 years of experience in development projects, specializing in sustainable tourism, urban, rural, and economic development. He has actively participated in over 80 development projects, working with both public bodies and the private sector.
Professor of Applied Sciences Sustainable Tourism and Transport at Breda University of Applied Sciences, Breda, The Netherlands
Associate Professor in Sustainable and Regenerative Tourism, University of Southern Denmark. Pioneering sustainable tourism models emphasizing environmental and social responsibility.
Sustainable Tourism Expert, Professor of Tourism Management, West Coast University of Applied Sciences. Expert in sustainable tourism, regional development, and biodiversity conservation.
Senior Lecturer & Researcher, School of Hospitality and Tourism Management, University of Surrey. Co-president of the Research Committee International Tourism (ISA).
Full-time Professor and Researcher at the University of Seville. His research interests focus on urban planning in historic cities, sustainable mobility, heritage preservation and management, urban and cultural tourism, and accessibility for people with reduced mobility.
Associate Professor, Geography of Tourism Department, Sofia University. Expertise in market research, product development, tourism impact assessment, destination management, sustainable development, and contested heritage.
Senior lecturer and Vice Dean for International Cooperation, Head of the Quality Assurance Department. Curator with extensive experience in education management and quality assurance in which she has led initiatives across various educational programmes. (Co-)Authored papers and publications related to cultural heritage tourism, satisfaction research, new communication technologies in hospitality and further topics relevant to cultural heritage and tourism management.
Full Professor at the University of Novi Sad, Department of Sciences, Department of Geography, Tourism and Hotel Management. Lecturing in the field of e-tourism and geoinformatics.
Associate Professor of Tourism at the Faculty of Economics, Matej Bel University in Banska Bystrica, Slovakia. He devotes himself to the issues of destination management and governance, as well as information systems in tourism and smart tourism.
Researcher Centre of Expertise Sustainable Business and Digital Innovation; Tourism, Research, Design Thinking at Thomas More-hogeschool. With over 15 years of experience in the tourism sector, a versatile professional who connects the dots across different areas. Expertise: academic research, policy analysis, marketing, project management, development of toolkits, service design and user research.
Head of Department Tourism and Hospitality, and Director of the eTourism Lab at Bournemouth University in England.
Professor and Chair of Smart and Sustainable Cities, University College Dublin. Expert in geospatial analysis, urban dynamics, and smart cities. Francesco is a distinguished scholar in smart and sustainable city development, utilising cutting-edge geospatial analysis to shape the future of urban tourism.