City Destinations Alliance
The alliance of Tourist Boards, Convention Bureaux and Destination Management Organisations in Europe
We are the European 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.
The CityDNA Tórshavn Declaration
From Shared Priorities to Action
The CityDNA Tórshavn Declaration is a collective strategic framework developed with and for members. It captures the key priorities shaping the future of Europe’s city destinations and translates them into concrete areas of action.
Climate Change and the Future of Tourism
Trend Room Whitepaper
The Whitepaper written in collaboration with ETFI is based on findings from a scenario workshop that explored how the impacts of climate change will transform the travel landscape of urban tourism destinations in the long term of 5 to 10 years by means of future scenarios (2035 is taken as time horizon).
City Travel Report by CityDNA 2024-2025
A New Era of Recalibration for European City Tourism
The City Travel Report by CityDNA provides a vital perspective on the volume of urban tourism in Europe, enabling individual city destinations to chart trends and to benchmark themselves in terms of volume and other parameters, especially key source markets. It presents compelling evidence of the economic significance of contemporary urban tourism. Put simply, cities are the dominant geographical focus of European tourism, especially the lucrative (and therefore much sought after!) short break and congress and/or conventions segments.
The Score is Not the Story
VivaCITY Whitepaper from CityDNA & Simpleview
What’s Beyond the Sustainability Score? In a time when certifications and indexes dominate the sustainability narrative, this whitepaper invites destination leaders to look deeper—beyond metrics and toward meaningful, transformative strategies.
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.
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!
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.
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.
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.
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!
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.
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.
CityDNA Live
![[CITYDNA CITY CARDS EXPERT MEETING 💳] As the 15th City Cards Expert Meeting comes to a close, a heartfelt thank you to all participants for the open discussions, valuable insights and generous exchange of experiences that once again demonstrated the strength of the CityDNA community.
Over the past days, city cards professionals explored topics ranging from digitalisation, pricing strategies and marketing to sustainability, visitor behaviour and the future evolution of destination products and offers. The willingness to share both successes and challenges is what makes this network so valuable.
A very special thank you to the fantastic Hamburg hosts, Anna-Michelle Schermal and Birte Leussing, and the entire Hamburg Tourismus team for their warm hospitality, excellent organisation and for showcasing the many facets of Hamburg throughout the programme.
A sincere thank you also goes to Gianluca Camaggio for once again expertly moderating this year's meeting, bringing energy, insight and a collaborative spirit to the discussions.
We now look forward to continuing the exchange throughout the year and to welcoming the community to the 16th City Cards Expert Meeting in Salzburg on June 3-4, 2027!
Thank you all and see you in Salzburg!
#CityDNA #CityDNACityCards #CityCards #VisitorEconomy #DestinationManagement #StrongerTogether](https://citydestinationsalliance.eu/wp-content/plugins/social-wall/img/placeholder.png)
[CITYDNA CITY CARDS EXPERT MEETING 💳] As the 15th City Cards Expert Meeting comes to a close, a heartfelt thank you to all participants for the open discussions, valuable insights and generous exchange of experiences that once again demonstrated the strength of the CityDNA community.
...Over the past days, city cards professionals explored topics ranging from digitalisation, pricing strategies and marketing to sustainability, visitor behaviour and the future evolution of destination products and offers. The willingness to share both successes and challenges is what makes this network so valuable.
A very special thank you to the fantastic Hamburg hosts, Anna-Michelle Schermal and Birte Leussing, and the entire Hamburg Tourismus team for their warm hospitality, excellent organisation and for showcasing the many facets of Hamburg throughout the programme.
A sincere thank you also goes to Gianluca Camaggio for once again expertly moderating this year's meeting, bringing energy, insight and a collaborative spirit to the discussions.
We now look forward to continuing the exchange throughout the year and to welcoming the community to the 16th City Cards Expert Meeting in Salzburg on June 3-4, 2027!
Thank you all and see you in Salzburg!
#CityDNA #CityDNACityCards #CityCards #VisitorEconomy #DestinationManagement #StrongerTogether
[CITYDNA CITY CARDS EXPERT MEETING 💳] Day 2 of the City Cards Expert Meeting focused on innovation, marketing and the future evolution of destination products.
The morning began with a continued discussion on the future direction of the Knowledge Group, reinforcing the ambition to ...expand collaboration beyond city cards and strengthen exchange around products, offers and visitor experiences across destinations.
Participants then explored inspiring examples from across Europe. Visit Düsseldorf presented its innovative portfolio of city cards, including regional cooperation models that encourage visitors to discover neighbouring destinations and extend their stay.
Marketing also took centre stage, with insights from Hamburg Ahoi and visitBerlin on how data-driven campaigns, strong brand identities and targeted digital strategies can increase both visibility and sales. The discussions highlighted the importance of understanding audiences, testing new approaches and continuously adapting to changing visitor behaviours.
Further inspiration came from Visit Reykjavík, which showcased how the Reykjavík City Card supports sustainable visitor distribution, public transport use and authentic local experiences, while reflecting the city's broader vision for responsible tourism development.
The morning concluded with a fascinating presentation from VisitCopenhagen on CopenPay, demonstrating how destinations can encourage more sustainable visitor behaviour by rewarding positive actions and creating meaningful connections between visitors, residents and place.
Across all sessions, a common message emerged: city cards and destination products are becoming increasingly important tools for shaping visitor flows, supporting sustainability goals and creating greater value for destinations and communities alike.
#CityDNA #CityDNACityCards #VisitorEconomy #DestinationManagement #CityCards #SustainableTourism #Innovation #DestinationStewardship Hamburg Ahoi
[CITYDNA CITY CARDS EXPERT MEETING 💳] After exploring Hamburg’s cultural heritage at the Hamburger Kunsthalle on the opening evening, participants experienced a very different side of the city yesterday night.
Hosted by the Hamburg team, the evening offered an opportunity to discover ...Hamburg’s vibrant and diverse character by experiencing Queer Hamburg at the renowned Pulverfass Cabaret.
Showcasing the city’s openness, creativity and inclusive spirit, the evening highlighted how destinations are shaped by the many communities, cultures and stories that contribute to their unique identity.
Beyond the entertainment, it was another valuable opportunity for networking, conversations and strengthening connections across the CityDNA community.
A memorable evening and a fitting reminder that authentic visitor experiences often come from discovering the different facets of a destination.
#CityDNA #CityDNACityCards #VisitorExperience #DestinationManagement #InclusiveTourism #CityCards #VisitorEconomy #Hamburg
[CITYDNA CITY CARDS EXPERT MEETING 💳] The afternoon sessions of Day 1 focused on one of the key challenges facing city card schemes today: how to remain relevant, resilient and valuable in a rapidly changing visitor economy.
Discussions on pricing strategies and sales fluctuations ...highlighted the growing complexity of managing city cards in a context shaped by inflation, changing booking behaviours, digital transformation and evolving mobility models. Participants exchanged practical experiences on seasonality, partner collaboration, dynamic pricing, public transport integration and the increasing importance of seamless digital user journeys.
A strong recurring theme throughout the discussions was the need for city cards to evolve from standalone products into broader destination management tools that support visitor dispersal, local engagement and sustainable tourism development.
An important milestone of the afternoon was the presentation by Danijel Omerzel, Chairperson of the City Cards Knowledge Group, who introduced the future restructuring of the Knowledge Group towards a broader focus on products and offers within DMOs. The evolution reflects how destinations are increasingly working with integrated visitor experiences, seasonal management and neighbourhood activation strategies.
The programme also included an open discussion on product development within DMOs, where participants exchanged innovative examples ranging from cultural experiences and food tourism to digital visitor engagement and sustainability initiatives.
The afternoon concluded with a networking activity, continuing the valuable peer exchange and connections that are at the heart of the CityDNA community.
#CityDNA #CityDNACityCards #DestinationManagement #VisitorEconomy #CityCards #SustainableTourism #ProductDevelopment #DestinationStewardship
[CITYDNA CITY CARDS EXPERT MEETING 💳] Day 1 of the City Cards Expert Meeting opened with a warm welcome from Michael Otremba, CEO of Hamburg Tourismus, who welcomed participants to Hamburg and reflected on the importance of collaboration, exchange and shared learning across the CityDNA ...network.
The morning sessions then focused on how city cards continue to evolve as strategic tools for destination management, visitor experience and sustainable mobility.
From Hamburg’s own city card journey to benchmarking insights from across Europe, discussions highlighted both the opportunities and the operational realities shaping the future of city card schemes. Topics included digitalisation, changing visitor expectations, pricing sensitivity, public transport integration, AI applications and the growing importance of flexibility and seamless user experience.
A key takeaway across the conversations: city cards are no longer simply discount products. They are increasingly becoming instruments for destination stewardship, helping cities distribute visitors, support cultural institutions, encourage sustainable mobility and strengthen local partnerships.
The programme also showcased practical experiences from destinations and organisations across the network, including insights from Hamburg Ahoi, Moco Museum Barcelona and Kraków Tourism Alliance., creating valuable peer exchange around both successes and lessons learned.
An inspiring start to the meeting, demonstrating the value of collective learning and collaboration across the CityDNA community.
#CityDNA #CityDNACityCards #DestinationManagement #VisitorEconomy #CityCards #SustainableTourism #DataDrivenDestinations
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[CITYDNA CITY CARDS EXPERT MEETING 💳] The 15th CityDNA City Cards Expert Meeting began yesterday evening with a welcome experience centred around place, culture and connection.
Participants first explored the city together during a 40-minute walk through Hamburg, offering the ...opportunity to experience the destination from a visitor perspective while continuing conversations across the CityDNA network.
The evening then continued at the Hamburger Kunsthalle, which opened its doors exclusively for the group. Following a warm welcome from Dr Jan Metzler, Head of Marketing & Customer Relations at Hamburger Kunsthalle, participants enjoyed a private visit of the museum before gathering for dinner in this unique cultural setting.
A strong start to the meeting, highlighting how cultural institutions, visitor experiences and city storytelling can come together to create meaningful moments for both residents and visitors alike.
#CityDNA #CityDNACityCards #VisitorExperience #DestinationManagement #CityCards #VisitorEconomy #CulturalTourism Hamburg Ahoi
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[DEPLOYTOUR 🚀] Data is no longer just a technical topic. It is becoming a key driver of innovation, collaboration and performance across the visitor economy.
That is why @DEPLOYTOUR is launching a new training programme designed for tourism stakeholders across Europe, helping make data ...concepts accessible, practical and directly relevant to destination management and tourism ecosystems.
The programme includes:
📚 Interactive modules covering topics from foundational concepts to technical architectures
⏱️ Around 30 minutes of engaging learning per module
🎨 Visual examples, case studies and practical insights
🏫 Developed together with university partners and tourism experts
🎓 Certificates recognising learning progress and new competencies
The first module "What is Data in Tourism?" offers a practical introduction to understanding what data is, why it matters, and how it can support better decision-making in tourism contexts.
No prior technical knowledge is required.
➡️ Registration is now open: https://dataspaces.uib.eu/login/signup.php
#CityDNA #DEPLOYTOUR #TourismDataSpace #DataDrivenDestinations #VisitorEconomy #DigitalTransformation #EUTourism