City Destinations Alliance

The alliance of Tourist Boards, Convention Bureaux and City Marketing Organisations in Europe

We are the knowledge sharing alliance for cities and urban regions. While working on the DNA of our cities, we are committed to a sustainable, inclusive and responsible visitor economy that benefits people, planet and prosperity. 

We are much more than a network. We want to publicly advocate for our common goals while still learning from each other.  

Our vision is for all cities in Europe to flourish as great places to live, work, meet and explore. As a community of DMO professionals, our promise to each other is to always be curious and forward-thinking, share our inspiration and never stop learning. 

Highlights

The reference for Leisure, Meetings Industry and City Marketing in Europe.

GDS-Forum & CityDNA Autumn Conference:
Building Blocks for Destination Positive

Valencia, October 3-7, 2023

Every day, we hear about the doom and gloom of global polycrisis. But is there a case to make for more of the right kind of optimism? Can more efficient progress be made if we believe in the possibility of positive change? And how do build towards inspired and engaging collective action, for better cities and destinations? Join us in Valencia for the City Destinations Alliance conference “Building Blocks for Destination Positive” from October 3-7, 2023 as we share and explore the promise of wegeneration in building for Destination Positive.

City Travel Report by CityDNA 2022-2023

The 19th edition is now available!

We are delighted to announce that the 19th edition of the City Travel Report by CityDNA 2022-2023 has been released!

Gathering insights from 115 participating cities, our report illustrates the main trends in city tourism between 2018 and 2022, enabling individual city destinations to benchmark themselves in terms of volume and other parameters, especially key source markets.

Welcoming Wegeneration

CityDNA Strategy 2023-2026

Welcoming Wegeneration is our long-term purpose and vision. It invites broad collective action. DMOs have the unique opportunity to make a real difference, they can connect people, cities and cultures and contribute to the quality of life in European cities. Now it is the time for inspired collective action and meaningful co-creation. This new strategy sets the tone and direction for City Destinations Alliance until 2026.

We call it Welcoming Wegeneration.

Featured Events

#CityDNA events provide members with information, contacts and business leads they cannot afford to miss out on.

Members know best…

  • The CityDNA Knowledge Groups play a strategic role in helping us develop new ideas, products, insights and solutions in the areas of City Cards, Marketing & Communication, Meetings Industry, Research & Insights, Sustainability, Tourist Information Centres or Trends. They are incubators of new ideas and an important source of insights and expertise.
    Yvonne Coulin
    CEO | Nuremberg Convention and Tourist Office
  • When it comes to looking at the future, the constantly evolving CityDNA Summer School is a unique opportunity for young professionals just entering the Meetings Industry to spend three days with some of the biggest names in our business, to understand the nature of the Meetings Industry, and acquire practical marketing skills. An unforgettable career-defining experience!
    Romana Vlašić
    Head of Convention Bureau and International Markets Development | Dubrovnik Tourist Board
  • By providing data, we can benchmark the performances of our destinations with bednights and in meetings statistics, as well as the financing and spending structures of our organisations. For the 50% of our members who do not have their own research departments, City Destinations Alliance can provide a unique & essential source of information.
    Daniëlla Brust-Blumink
    Data Analyst | amsterdam&partners
  • City Destinations Alliance knows that we, as members, have specific interests and provides us with the opportunity to have our own platforms, events and forums. CityDNA also helps us members to align our own strategic agenda with whatever demands, challenges and opportunities tomorrow will bring.
    Davy Jansegers
    Head of Sales & Promotion | Lausanne Tourism & Convention Bureau
  • Every year, we have more and more City Cards specialists participating in the City Cards Expert Meeting and strengthening the network. Through best practices and knowledge exchange, these meetings allow CityDNA member destinations to fine-tune their City Cards product, the associated communication and sales strategy, with the goal of managing the destination in a sustainable way.
    Gianluca Camaggio
    Sales Manager | Turisme de Barcelona
  • City Destinations Alliance is a member organisation. It is with us members and by the members. Through its strategy, CityDNA explores a more sustainable tomorrow together with a great purpose and appetite for experimenting in the visitor economy that contributes to a better life in the city. This knowledge is essential in my daily job!
    Dieter Hardt-Stremayr
    CEO | Graz Tourismus
  • Knowledge exchange and best practices’ sessions are core activities in City Destinations Alliance: from meetings statistics to legacy or ambassador programmes, we are always kept up to date by the best examples in Europe and from around the world.
    Bettina Reventlow-Mourier
    Deputy Convention Director | Wonderful Copenhagen
  • City Destinations Alliance is the only organisation to gather all CEOs of European destinations to discuss the latest market trends and new developments in policy, strategy and operations. But more important: it gives me a network of persons with whom I share challenges and endeavours, be it sustainability challenges, citizens support or how to measure the broader pros and cons of tourism. In short: This meeting is on the very top of my list.
    Corinne Menegaux
    CEO | Office du Tourisme et des Congrès de Paris

CityDNA Live

[BUILDING BLOCKS FOR DESTINATION POSITIVE 🟧🟢]
#HumanCentric AI for #BetterCities? 🟢🟧🔷 Can AI be used to tap into the essence of a city, namely the people? Is there such thing as a community algorithm? During the City Destinations Alliance conference in Visit València -Spain ...#BuildingBlocks for #DestinationPositive, programmed by GROUP NAO, we will be exploring #humancentric AI–based solutions for better urban futures. Co-Founder of Urbanistai, Damiano Cerrone is reshaping the way we use AI to co-design and co-create better #UrbanFutures, enabling comprehensive, participatory urban planning integrating multiple different AI technologies.

This is just one of many destination building blocks that we will dive into throughout our #positively loaded programme at the City Destinations Alliance Autumn Conference: "Building Blocks for Destination Positive”.
Be sure to register for your spot here: https://buff.ly/44ecWHl

For the first time, the #CityDNA conference and #GDSForum with Global Destination Sustainability Movement are back-to-back for a full week of events in Valencia from October 3-7.

[TIC EXPERT MEETING ℹ️] Tickets to attend the 10th TIC Expert Meeting in Bologna Welcome on November 23-24, 2023 are selling fast!
The theme of the event will be "Act responsibly from your TIC: Responsibili-TIC ".
Be quick & secure your seat now: https://buff.ly/44x5w1o ...
#CityDNA #CityDNATouristInformationCentres

[BUILDING BLOCKS FOR DESTINATION POSITIVE 🟧🟢]
From #Valuegraphics to #InclusiveDataCollection to #SensoryExperienceDesign 🟡🟩🟠 At the City Destinations Alliance conference #BuildingBlocks for #DestinationPositive, programmed by GROUP NAO, we will seek inspiration for ...#PeoplePositive approaches in #datafying and #designing for Destination Positive.

Sofie Burgos-Thorsen from Teknoantropologi på Aalborg Universitet will invite us to create more sensitive ways of #researching #engaging & #collecting data from diverse and often underrepresented community groups. In a #LiveDemo session, Sofie will demonstrate tools developed to redesign the way data is used to tell stories about people’s diverse urban experiences and sense of #UrbanBelonging.

Value activist David Allison, Founder of The Valuegraphics Research Company, declares the end of #demographics and the rise of #Valuegraphics. Mapping human values, David connects shared values of different groups of people with a #data-based approach to a #values-driven world.

Shifting from #datadesign to #experiencedesign, Alison Brooks from Visit Mesa will take us on a #SensoryJourney as we learn what makes #Mesa one of the leading #autismfriendly cities & destinations in the world – with concrete examples of #destinationdevelopment and #experiencedesign that includes #VisualInterpretation services to #KnowBeforeYouGo accessibility platforms.

These are just one of many destination building blocks that we will dive into throughout our #positively loaded programme at the City Destinations Alliance Autumn Conference: "Building Blocks for Destination Positive”.
Be sure to register for your spot here: https://buff.ly/44ecWHl

#CityDNA

[EMBRACING THE POWER OF AI IN DESTINATION MANAGEMENT 🌟🤖]

Hey, destination professionals! 🌆 Curious about AI's impact on your work and organisation? Here are 3 reasons why you should take part in our DMOs & CVBs AI Survey:

1️⃣ Stay Ahead: Don't get left ...behind in the AI revolution. Discover where you stand.

2️⃣ Beyond the Buzz: AI is more than just a buzzword. Let's dive deeper into its real potential.

3️⃣ Collaborate & Learn: Connect with fellow DMO colleagues and grow together!

Your insights matter! This survey takes just 7-8 minutes of your time⏳. Share it with your colleagues too! We're eager to hear diverse perspectives within your DMO/CVB.

👉 Access the survey here: https://buff.ly/45WTkYX

Join us in exploring the exciting world of AI in tourism! 🚀 #AIinTourism #DestinationManagement #MarketingImpact #CityDNA #AIRevolution

[BUILDING BLOCKS FOR DESTINATION POSITIVE 🟧🟢] #FromDoomtoBloom?
What is the point of hope? Can stories and visions of a better future impact present day action? At @City Destinations Alliance conference #BuildingBlocks for #DestinationPositive, programmed by GROUP NAO, we will ...reintroduce #hope and #optimism as building blocks for action towards #DestinationPositive and #BetterUrbanFutures.

Rhys Williams, Senior Lecturer at the University of Glasgow, will introduce us to the ideas and visions behind the #Solarpunk movement – a movement set to inspire hope and action with visions of surprising, wonderful and unshitty futures, where #new solutions bridge the gap between human society and the natural world.

This is just one of many destination building blocks that we will dive into throughout our #positively loaded programme at the City Destinations Alliance Autumn Conference: "Building Blocks for Destination Positive”.
Be sure to register for your spot here: https://buff.ly/44ecWHl

For the first time, the #CityDNA conference and #GDSForum with Global Destination Sustainability Movement are back-to-back for a full week of events in Visit València -Spain from October 3-7, 2023.

[PRESS RELEASE 📣] /// CITYDNA SUMMER SCHOOL: 37 YEARS OF EMPOWERING FUTURE LEADERS IN THE MEETINGS INDUSTRY ///
The CityDNA Summer School, the flagship event in the Meetings Industry celebrated its 37th edition in #Gdansk, marking another milestone in empowering the leaders of tomorrow. ...With a legacy dating back to 1987 and the participation of over 2000 students over the years, the Summer School has solidified its status as a cornerstone for those aspiring to embark on a fulfilling career in events management...
Read the press release: https://buff.ly/3LkaPKM
#CityDNA #education #CityDNASummerSchool #eventprofs Visit Gdansk Gdansk Convention Bureau

[UNBROKEN EMERGENCY SUMMIT 🟨⬛❤️‍🩹 ]
📣 Join the UNBROKEN Emergency Summit in #Lviv on October 29-31, 2023! 🌍🇺🇦

Calling all International & European mission-based Associations, Foundations, Charities, Corporations, NGOs, and event planners! 🤝

...Let's make a difference together! 🏥✨
🔹 Connect with global colleagues & organisations
🔹 Support the UNBROKEN Rehabilitation Centre
🔹 Help build a UNBROKEN Kids Department
🔹 Establish a new Surgical Centre
🔹 Aid Accommodation Blocks & rehab facilities for internally displaced people (IDPs)

Together, we can fast-track resources & personnel to meet demand! 💪

Register now: unbrokensummit.framer.website

Be part of this vital mission! 🌐 #UNBROKEN #UNBROKENEmergencySummit #TogetherForChange The Iceberg

[WHAT DOES AI MEAN TO YOU? 🤖🌆] Destination professionals, here are 3 reasons why you should take the Survey on DMOs & CVBs use and views of AI:
1️⃣ You feel like you are already behind in working with AI. Maybe you are, maybe you aren't...
2️⃣ You think AI is a ..."buzz". Are you sure about that?
3️⃣ You want to share & learn together with your DMO colleagues? That's great!

You can take part by answering this survey on how AI is shaping your #work and #organisation as #DMO and #CVB. It should just take you 7-8 minutes⏳

Please share with your #colleagues as well! We want to hear from different voices within the same DMO/CVB to understand the differences across functions and departments as well.

You can access the survey here 👉 https://buff.ly/45WTkYX
Let's explore the exciting world of AI together! 🚀
#AIinTourism #DestinationManagement #MarketingImpact #CityDNA