Cities 2020

Málaga (Spain) and Gothenburg (Sweden) were jointly awarded the title of European Capitals of Smart Tourism for 2020 – an award that recognizes outstanding achievements in smart tourism planning.

Gothenburg aspires to stay on top of digital trends

The city stands out for its digital offering that is helping improve experiences for both citizens and tourists. This includes future-oriented solutions for traffic and transport, open data, as well as sustainability measures. The water-side city works together with a wide variety of stakeholders and sectors to implement a truly integrated approach to smart tourism.

The city’s long-term commitment to cooperate at EU level to tackle the common challenges faced by tourism destinations can make it a real role model and inspiration for others.

Málaga has transformed from a traditional sun-and-sea tourism hotspot into a modern and innovative tourism destination

After two decades of change, this city is now successfully incorporating the concepts of sustainability, accessibility, innovation and culture into its holistic smart tourism strategies and actions. The coastal city  has a strong focus on using novel technologies to improve the visitor experience and boost the innovative capacity of local businesses. The city is also a leader in involving the local community and working to sow the seeds of smart tourism on an educational level.

As a well-established tourism destination, Málaga has a strong capacity to raise the profile of the European Capital of Smart Tourism initiative and enhance the exchange of good practices at EU level.

Four cities were also recognised with 2020 European Smart Tourism Awards for their outstanding achievements in the initiative's four categories. These cities received the highest individual category scores of all 35 applicant cities, during a pre-selection phase carried out by an independent panel of experts.

The following cities were also among the shortlisted finalists competing for the European Capital of Smart Tourism 2020 title. They were invited to present their candidatures in front of the European Jury on 8 October 2019.