The City of Helsingborg is a finalist for the European Capital of Smart Tourism 2024 award

Helsingborg is one of six finalists for the European Capital of Smart Tourism award, given to the city that demonstrates a deep commitment to shaping the future of sustainable and innovative tourism.

The European Union initiative rewards cities for their innovative approaches surrounding accessibility, digitalisation, sustainability, cultural heritage and creativity. Helsingborg advanced from a group of 30 candidate cities from 17 different countries. The other nominated cities are Bremerhaven (Germany), Cork (Ireland), Dublin (Ireland), Genoa (Italy), and San Sebastián (Spain).

”The final place is a clear confirmation that Helsingborg’s innovation work towards a sustainable destination is on the right track. It also puts us in a European and global context, which is good for the city and the entire business community,” says Carina Leffler, Director of the City of Helsingborg.

The competition welcomes entries from cities in the EU and non-EU countries eligible for the Single Market Programme. An impartial panel of experts thoroughly evaluates the applications, with the highest-scoring applicants in all categories advancing to the finals.

In the next step, the finalists will be invited to Brussels to present their proposals to a European jury. The results will be made public by November 28th, 2023.

”The nomination shows that our long-term cooperation with the business community to create a sustainable destination is paying off. We are result-oriented and focused, which has led to a steady increase in the number of visitors our city,” says Helena Wennerström, Deputy Communications and Business Development Director

Since 2018, the European Capital of Smart Tourism has provided a platform to highlight exceptional practices and achievements. Winning cities are given the opportunity to showcase their practices globally and share successful examples in their field. Including a smart tourism report carried out by the competing cities.

Previous winners include Seville and Paphos (2023), Valencia and Bordeaux (2022), Málaga and Gothenburg (2020) and Helsinki and Lyon (2019).

Read more about the award on the European Commission’s website