Helsinki and Lyon awarded titles of 2019 European Capitals of Smart Tourism (FOTO)

Brüssel (ots) -

The European Union initiative supports the exchange of best
practices for innovative solutions by EU cities to strengthen their
sustainability and competitiveness as tourist destinations in the new
industrial era

The winners of the first edition of the European Capital of Smart
Tourism competition were awarded today at a ceremony in Brussels, on
the occasion of the European Tourism Day the largest annual meeting
on European tourism (http://ots.de/Ph16oG).

Pia Pakarinen, Helsinki's Deputy Mayor, Alain Galliano,
Vice-President of Lyon Métropole and Jean-Michel Daclin, President of
ONLYLYON Tourism and Congress, received European Capitals of Smart
Tourism 2019 trophies on behalf of their cities and were delighted
that long-term efforts in creating smart environments for tourists in
their cities have been recognised at EU-level.

In praise of the winners, Commissioner El?bieta Bie?kowska,
responsible for Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs,
stated: "I congratulate Helsinki and Lyon for the outstanding
solutions that they put in place to make tourism in their cities
smart and innovative. Our objective at EU level is to foster the
sustainable development of tourism by showcasing innovative solutions
from EU cities in tourism. We believe that the European Capital of
Smart Tourism initiative will help to establish a framework of
exchange of good practices between European cities, including
learning from each other and networking, creating opportunities for
cooperation and new partnerships. Tourism is important for the EU
economy so we all need to work together more effectively to be more
competitive and grow in a sustainable way".

Pia Pakarinen, Helsinki's Deputy Mayor commented: "We very much
appreciate the opportunity to be the first European Capital of Smart
Tourism. The first ones always set the bar and we aim high".

David Kimelfeld, President of Lyon Métropole, proud of his city's
achievement said in a video message: "The exchange of good ideas has
always moved us forward in Europe and that is why we are so pleased
to receive this Award and to have the opportunity to share with other
European cities a few of our ideas about smart tourism. We hope with
our initiatives we can also inspire other cities!"

In addition, four cities received 2019 European Smart Tourism
Awards for their outstanding achievements in the four categories of
the competition: Málaga (Accessibility), Ljubljana (Sustainability),
Copenhagen (Digitalisation) and Linz (Cultural Heritage &
Creativity).

The European Capital of Smart Tourism is a new EU initiative,
based on a proposal from the European Parliament, which secured its
funding for 2018 - 2019 through a Preparatory Action. The initiative
seeks to strengthen tourism-generated innovative development in EU
cities and their surroundings, increase their attractiveness as well
as strengthen economic growth and job creation. It also aims to
establish a framework for the exchange of best practices between
cities participating in the contest, create opportunities for
cooperation and new partnerships.

In order to become a European Capital of Smart Tourism, a city
needed to demonstrate exemplary achievements as a tourism destination
in implementing innovative and intelligent solutions in all four
award categories: accessibility, sustainability, digitalisation,
cultural heritage and creativity. It also needed to convince the
European Jury about its suitability to act as role model for other
burgeoning smart tourism destinations.

Cities of more than 100.000 inhabitants were eligible in the first
edition of this competition. 38 cities from 19 EU Member States
applied, but Helsinki and Lyon stood out for their innovative tourism
measures and the impressive programme of activities they have put
together to celebrate their achievements.

Helsinki and Lyon have been awarded with promotional videos,
exhibition at European Tourism Day and purpose-built giant sculptures
which will be installed in prominent locations in the two cities.
During 2019 both Capitals will benefit also from promotional actions
at EU level.

To celebrate their success, Helsinki and Lyon have planned an
exciting schedule of activities for 2019. For example, Helsinki will
be launching a smart city guidance pilot scheme, making use of
collaborative work with businesses and digital tools to create a
smarter way to guide people in the city. Helsinki will organise a
workshop with other European cities on smart tourism and will hold
the World Tourism Cities Federation's annual global summit and trade
fair.

Lyon's representatives will be travelling the globe for shows,
press meetings and special events to inform new audiences about the
city's smart opportunities. These activities will be supplemented by
Lyon's 26,000 strong network of ambassadors. The city is also
launching its "World Travel Influencer Meetings" and is taking part
in the Global Sustainability Programme.

For all the latest news on the European Capital of Smart Tourism
(https://smarttourismcapital.eu/), including updates about the event
programmes in both of the winning cities, sign up to our newsletter
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Notes to Editors

1. The first edition of the competition was open to submissions from
11 April 2018 to 30 June 2018. Terms and conditions are available at
www.SmartTourismCapital.eu

2. In the first stage of the competition, an independent panel of
experts evaluated applications from 38 cities in 19 EU Member States
and narrowed these down to 10 finalist cities.

3. The 10 finalist cities each presented their candidatures in front
of a seven member European jury, comprising representatives from the
European Commission, European Parliament, European Committee of
Regions and the EU Member States: Bulgaria and Austria (holders of
the Presidency of the Council of the European Union during 2018) at a
Jury meeting in Brussels on 24 September 2018.

4. Two cities winning the title of the European Capitals of Smart
Tourism 2019 as well as four other cities scoring the highest in the
individual categories of the competition and therefore recognised
with European Smart Tourism Awards 2019 received their awards at the
European Tourism Day in Brussels on 7 November 2018.

5.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.

Contact:
Friederike Sandow, +49 (0) 30 700 186 315
Sandra Bumbar-Malchow, +49 (0) 30 700 186 707
e-mail: info@SmartTourismCapital.eu

Original-Content von: EUROPEAN CAPITALS OF SMART TOURISM, übermittelt durch news aktuell