Pafos, a European Capital of Smart Tourism for 2023!
Pafos is a European Capital of Smart Tourism 2023, together with Seville.
The selection was made by a jury composed by representatives of EU institutions (European Parliament TRAN Commitee 1st Vice President, Committee of the Regions NAT Commission President, senior officers of European Commission DG GROW and EU Council delegate from Sweden).
The announcement was made in Brussels on 9 November 2022, following presentations of all finalists to the Jury and the decision of the Jury. In breaking the news, a member of the Jury stated:
"Pafos is a city full of initiatives, has become a smart leader, thanks to your forward looking approach, so well done for that! We were particularly impressed by the commitment to meeting ambitious sustainability objectives, with constant monitoring at the same time and a strategy retune in place. And we were also pleased with you realizing your plan to work together with previous winners of this competition. You had a series of successes! You were a capital in ancient times, a former European Capital of Culture and now on top of this, well done, a 2023 European Capital of Smart Tourism, well done again!"
This is the first time that a tourist destination in Cyprus wins this contest. Pafos and Seville are the two Capitals of Smart Tourism for 2023, selected amongst seven finalists. The finalists had been selected by a panel of independent experts with specialist knowledge covering each award category (accessibility, sustainability, digitalisation, cultural heritage and creativity), who evaluated all submitted applications. This is the first time that a tourist destination in Cyprus wins this contest.
The cities that had been shortlisted for the European Capital of Smart Tourism 2023 award were Aarhus (Denmark), Gijón (Spain), Pafos (Cyprus), Porto (Portugal), San Sebastián (Spain), Seville (Spain), Zagreb (Croatia), as finalists selected from 29 candidates from 13 countries. All shortlisted cities presented their candidatures in front of a European Jury in Brussels on 9 September.
Coming with the title of 2023 European Capital of Smart Tourism, communication and branding support throughout 2023 will be provided to the winners. This includes a promotional video, a specially designed hashtag sculpture for the city to display, and tailored promotional actions designed to increase visibility at EU and global level and increase the number of visitors.
Smart tourism, according to the European Commission's definition, responds to new challenges and demands in a fast-changing sector, including the evolution of digital tools, products and services; equal opportunity and access for all visitors; sustainable development of the local area; and support to creative industries, local talent and heritage.
ECTN having supported this EU initiative from the outset and the candidature of Pafos is very pleased that the current ECTN Presidency Pafos is one of the two European Capitals of Smart Tourism for 2023! Previously, another ECTN member, Bremerhaven had reached the final stage of this prestigious title.
Congratulations and all the best for 2023 to Pafos and Seville!
For more details visit:
The announcement is available on video:
https://youtube.com/shorts/6Dj4a2aIE3c?feature=share
