Dublin kick-started its 2024 designation as the 'European Capital of Smart Tourism' this week by lighting up the Samuel Beckett Bridge in the European flag.
The honour is bestowed by the European Commission on destinations who are leading the way in becoming more sustainable, accessible, cultural and digital.
Dublin, previously shortlisted for the award in 2021, is one of the only cities in Europe to have an established Smart Tourism Programme, run by the city council and partners.
Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, Catherine Martin, said: “This is a wonderful achievement that underscores the City Council’s commitment to ensuring that Dublin is a world-class sustainable, accessible and cultural destination. Dublin is our Capital and is the gateway destination for many of the visitors to our Island. It’s wonderful to see the great work that our local authorities and tourism agencies are undertaking being recognised like this. I know it will serve to inspire other areas to strive for excellence in sustainable tourism practices that deliver better environmental, social and economic outcomes for all.”
For Dublin City Council and its partners the designation will involve facilitating a comprehensive programme of events, engagements and activities focused on embedding best practice in sustainable tourism. Representatives from other cities in Europe will be visiting Dublin during the year to collaborate, learn and share best practices with their counterparts in Dublin.
Richard Shakespeare, CEO, Dublin City Council, said: "This designation is a recognition of our commitment to deliver a greener, more accessible, inclusive and innovative Dublin, for both our visitors and locals. Our Smart Tourism programme, which was established in 2019 has been sharing, collaborating, and learning from some of the best cities in Europe and embedding this best practice in our own work through our new Tourism Strategy 2023-2023. We will use this designation as a platform to deliver an innovative approach to tourism for Dublin."
