Most European cities are small or medium-sized, offering distinct identities and intimate connections between visitors and local life. In this episode, we explore what smart tourism looks like at the scale of smaller urban destinations and how they balance growth and authenticity with insights from three unique destinations:

Tartu (Estonia), a vibrant university city leveraging its 2024 European Capital of Culture legacy; Thessaloniki (Greece), a 2,300-year-old living city offering authentic, year-round cultural experiences; and Ghent (Belgium), a quirky Flemish destination proudly embracing its status as a hidden gem.

Speakers:

• Miia Maris Praks: Sustainability Coordinator, Visit Tartu, Estonia
• Kyriaki Oudatzi: General Director, Thessaloniki Tourism Organisation, Greece
• Vicky Van Daele: Coordinator of Marketing Communications, Press and MICE, Visit Ghent, Belgium
• Deborah De Lausnay: Marketing Coordinator, Visit Ghent, Belgium

Host: Misa Labarile, Policy Officer of the European Commission, DG MOVE

Find out more about smart tourism and the European Capitals of Tourism competition on the initiative website: An EU initiative to reward innovative and smart tourism in European Cities!

More visitors than ever are arriving with a laptop in their bag. In this episode, we explore hybrid tourism from two angles: Madeira, where a pandemic-era pilot project turned the island into a remote work hotspot and Helsinki, where the goal isn't attracting new visitors but encouraging the ones who already come to stay a little longer.

Speakers:

• Micaela Vieira: Project Manager, Startup Madeira
• Jenny Taipale: Head of Marketing, Helsinki Partners

Host: Misa Labarile, Policy Officer of the European Commission, DG MOVE

Find out more about smart tourism and the European Capitals of Tourism competition at the initiative website: https://smart-tourism-capital.ec.europa.eu

In this episode of the EU Smart Tourism Podcast, celebrate the winners of the 2026 European Capital & Green Pioneer of Smart Tourism - Tampere (Finland) and Dubrovnik (Croatia). We take a closer look at these two destinations and their shared commitment to innovation, sustainability, and long-term resilience.

Misa Labarile, Policy Officer at the European Commission, DG MOVE, and representatives of the winning cities discuss how innovative tourism practices have led to their success in the competition and the impact of smart tourism on the cities.

Speakers:

• Heli Jokela: Marketing and Communications Director, Visit Tampere, Finland
• Mato Franković: Mayor of Dubrovnik, Croatia

Host: Misa Labarile, Policy Officer of the European Commission, DG MOVE

Find out more about smart tourism and the #EUTourismCapital and #EUGreenPioneer competitions on our website: https://smart-tourism-capital.ec.europa.eu/