Bruges nominated for the title of European Capital of "Smart Tourism 2026"
The European Commission has announced the finalists for the European Capital of "Smart Tourism 2026" award. This accolade is given to a city that has shown an exceptional commitment to shaping the future of sustainable and innovative tourism.
Thirty-two candidate cities from twelve countries submitted applications. Seven were selected for the shortlist. In addition to Bruges, these are: Braga (Portugal), Brussels, Regensburg (Germany), Leipzig (Germany), Tampere (Finland) and Genoa (Italy). These cities will proceed to the next selection round, which will be completed in the second half of November.
Alderman for Tourism Minou Esquenet is delighted with the nomination: "We applied on behalf of Bruges because our tourism strategy has attracted international attention and received very positive responses. We approached our candidacy as an opportunity to link the key points of our tourism policy in a broader context to the themes assessed by an international jury of experts: sustainability, accessibility, digitisation and cultural heritage. I would like to congratulate the Visit Bruges team, the other city services and partners who have put their weight behind this candidacy for their preparatory work. Being on the shortlist is already a great recognition, but we are ambitious to actually bring the prestigious title to Bruges in November."
If successful, Bruges will join an impressive list of cities that have previously held the title of “European Capital of Smart Tourism”: Turin (2025), Dublin (2024), Seville and Paphos (2023), Valencia and Bordeaux (2022), Malaga and Gothenburg (2020) and Helsinki and Lyon (2019).