35 cities from 17 EU-countries took part in the competition that evaluates candidates from four categories: sustainability, accessibility, digitalisation and culture & creativity. Ten was selected for the final presentation in Helsinki.

In the entry for The European Capital of Smart Tourism 2020 award, Gothenburg focused on strengths in all four categories and on being ready to share best practices and learnings with other destinations.

Gothenburg is in the digital frontline, with high connectivity and a large number of tech companies. Also, the city is a leader in sustainability, with a number one ranking in the Global Destination Sustainability Index.

- As Lord Mayor of Gothenburg, it is very rewarding to be here in Helsinki to discuss Gothenburg as a smart destination. We are very proud of our city and we work hard to win even more people's confidence to visit us, said Anneli Rhedin, Lord Mayor of Gothenburg.

- This is a recognition to all the work and creativity that our local partners put in when it comes to making Gothenburg a smart destination. We know that investing in sustainability, accessibility, digitalisation, culture and creativity is wise. With the help from the title, we will be an even stronger ambassador for this mindset, said Peter Grönberg, CEO of Göteborg & Co, the destination management organisation of Gothenburg.

Outtake from Gothenburg’s entry:

Being smart makes what is good even better. Our pocket-sized metropolis has for 400 years gathered people who believe in international and cultural exchange. To anyone who perceive “smart” as a tech term we wish to show another side: a side filled with warmth, inclusiveness and human values. Gothenburg is a sustainable city open to the world.

Gothenburg Region facts:

Location: West coast of Sweden

Population: 1 million

City founded: 1621

Number of Universities: 2

Number of students: 60,000

Public transport run on sustainable fuels: 96%

Environmentally certified hotel rooms in the city: 95%

People employed within the information and communications technology sector: 29,000

Start-ups in 2018: 7,119

Green space per citizen (in the city): 274 m²

Bicycle lanes in the city: 810 kilometres

Museums in the city: 20

Yearly guest nights:~ 5 million

Facts on the competition:

The European Commission awards the title of European Capital of Smart Tourism 2020 to two European cities with the smartest, most innovative and inclusive approaches to their tourism development. In 2019, Helsinki and Lyon hold the title and in 2020, it will be Gothenburg and Malaga.

The competition is open to cities in the EU with a population over 100,000 inhabitants. In EU countries where no city has more than 100,000 inhabitants, the largest city is eligible to apply.

By rewarding exemplary practices of smart tourism, the EU seeks to encourage innovation of tourism destinations, support culturally diverse and inclusive tourism and highlight the multi-faceted contribution of tourism to sustainable development.