València has been named European Capital of Smart Tourism 2022. The city’s candidacy has been chosen by a jury of the European Commission, specialising in accessibility, sustainability, digitisation, cultural heritage and creativity. The city’s commitment to developing projects that promote smart tourism; networking and promoting the development of innovatives, sustainable and inclusive tourism, were recognised and cemented the jury’s decision.

A total of 30 applications from 16 different countries submitted initiatives, including Bordeaux (France), Copenhagen (Denmark), Dublin (Ireland), Florence (Italy) and Palma (Spain). The Councillor for Tourism of the València City Council, Emiliano García, affirmed that this distinction from the EU “represents recognition of the work on sustainability that the València destination is developing, together with the business sector.”

“València is positioning itself as a cosmopolitan, intelligent and sustainable tourist destination, at the level of the large tourist cities and European capitals. We are leading pioneering projects in terms of sustainability, such as the one relating to the calculation, certification and reduction of carbon and water footprints; or the development of a complete Tourist Intelligence System. We are positioning ourselves as a destination for international filming thanks to the constitution of the Film Office; We are the World Capital of Design, and in parallel, we continue to maximize the value and visibility of our most traditional heritage, both tangible and intangible,” he added. “We are very clear about what our most important assets are and we maximize them. This news is a stimulus to continue growing, to make València increasingly accessible, sustainable and digitized,” concluded the mayor.

Supported by a panel of experts in communication and brand development, València will produce a promotional video, a large sculpture including a hashtag that will be installed in a prominent place in the city and various promotional activities within the European Union to support visibility and awareness of the award in 2022.