2023 European Capitals of Smart Tourism at ITB Berlin

Pafos (Cyprus) and Seville (Spain) will be in Hall 20, stand 303 at this year's event, 7-9 March

BRUSSELS, Feb. 27, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- 2023 European Capitals of Smart Tourism Pafos (Cyprus) and Seville (Spain) are participating in ITB Berlin 2023. Representatives from the two cities will be at the European Capital of Smart Tourism stand (Hall 20, stand 303).

The two cities are setting the standard in a form of tourism that is accessible, digital, sustainable and creative. For tourists, this means better experiences, for locals, it means they can make the most out of their city, as well as better jobs, and, for the environment, it means a greener future.

Some of the leading practices from the two cities include:

Pafos:

• Visitors can take a deep dive into the city's history thanks to the Pafos UNESCO Archaeological park app and smart signs. These tools provide a personalised and enhanced digital guide to the destination. The app is available in several languages, includes interactive content, videos and photo galleries for each location, as well as 360 tours.
• The Pafos Smart Parking System uses state-of-the-art technology to provide real-time information on available parking spaces, making it easy for citizens and visitors to find a spot quickly and easily. This means fuel and time are no longer wasted, whilst looking for a space.

Seville:

• The city is seeking to furnish harmony between residents and visitors. One way of doing this is to manage the flow of people in congested areas. To do this, the city's smart tourism office has set up a network of sensors, including AI cameras, Wi-Fi tracking and triangulation of operator signals. The data collected from these sensors is fed into a tool that will enable the correct redistribution of tourist flows towards areas of the city where congestion is lower, taking into consideration other tourist attractions that the city wishes to promote.
• Celebrations and festivals are being made fully accessible thanks to the SEVILLE ACCESSIBLE app. This tool entails integrated maps and routes, as well as noiseless schedules. It also points towards the most accessible attractions, suitable for people of all abilities.

The European Capital of Smart Tourism is an EU initiative that aims to promote smart tourism in the EU by rewarding cities for their pioneering smart tourism approaches in accessibility, digitalisation, sustainability, and cultural heritage and creativity. Built on the successful experience of a preparatory action proposed by the European Parliament, the initiative seeks to foster innovative, sustainable, and inclusive tourism development, as well as spread and facilitate the exchange of best practices.

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For further press information, contact:

European Capital of Smart Tourism Secretariat:
Sandra Bumbar-Malchow or Antigoni Avgeropoulou, info@SmartTourismCapital.eu, +49 (0) 30 70 01 86 390

Notes to Editors:

1. The 2023 European Capital of Smart Tourism competition was open to submissions from 31 March 2022 to 1 June 2022. Terms and conditions are available at https://smarttourismcapital.eu.
2. In the first stage of the competition, a panel of independent experts evaluated the applications. As the result of the evaluation, a shortlist of 7 finalist cities was established. All finalist cities demonstrated excellence across the four competition categories combined.
3. In the second stage, representatives of the 7 finalist cities presented their candidatures and the programme of activities planned for 2023 in front of the European Jury. The European Jury met on 9 November 2022 in Brussels and selected two cities to hold the title of the European Capitals of Smart Tourism in 2023.
4. Smart tourism responds to new challenges and demands in a fast-changing sector, including the expectation of digital information, products, and services; equal opportunities and access for all visitors; sustainable development of the local area; and support to creative industries and local talent.
5. In 2021, from amongst 30 EU cities which applied, Bordeaux and València were selected as the European Capitals of Smart Tourism 2022. In 2019, amongst 35 EU cities which applied, Málaga and Gothenburg stood out and were selected as the European Capitals of Smart Tourism 2020. In 2018, amongst 38 EU cities, Helsinki and Lyon stood out and were selected the European Capitals of Smart Tourism 2019. Watch the Smart Tourism Capitals video for Bordeaux and València.