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
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.
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.
Head of Tourism at ULB - IGEAT. Professor -Chair: cultural tourism. Her research interests include different aspects of social tourism as well as cultural tourism with a particular focus on heritage tourism (including WHS) and urban ethnic and slum tourism
Accessible Poland Tours - Expert in travel services for disabled people. The Internet Tour Operator for Disabled People
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.
Consultant at sustainable-tourism.com; Professional background of more than 100 projects, both as a freelancer and employee of consulting and engineering firms.
Sustainable Tourism Consultant, specialising in sustainable hospitality, agritourism and ecotourism projects, with over 20 years of experience in marketing and auditing accommodations and destinations.
Senior Research Associate with the Meaningful Tourism Centre, responsible for researching best practice destinations and promoting the network to individuals and groups involved in best-practice sustainable and innovative tourism.
Director IDITUR – Centre for Research, Dissemination and Innovation in Tourism. He holds a PhD in Social and Cultural Anthropology and a Master in Social and Cultural Anthropology (Cultural Differences and Transnational Processes) both awarded by the Autonomous University of Barcelona (Spain).
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.
Expert in cultural policies, Chairperson of the Board of CULTURELAB, Latvia
Managing Director of Trans Europe Halles (Network of cultural centres).
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.
Leading industry expert on digital trends and transformation in the field of tourism and founder of the Digital Tourism Think Tank.
Data Digitalisation Expert. OSTELEA Tourism Management, EAE Business School - Innovation Management E-Learning Professor | MBA in Tourism & Hospitality Management
Freelance consultant has operated, and operates, for government institutions, public administrations and in the private sector on innovation and digital technologies, with a specific focus on tourism and e-government.
CEO and Co-Founder of Planet Egan Ltd. Over 30 years experience gained predominantly in the travel, hospitality and online industry with passion for responsible and sustainable growth.