Lyon named as a 2019 European Capital of Smart Tourism

Lyon, alongside Helsinki, was chosen as part of the first edition of the initiative.

Also known as "the Capital of French Gastronomy," Lyon was selected by a seven-member jury to recognize its tourism innovations. While 38 cities from 19 EU member states applied, Lyon and the Finnish capital were found to be at the cutting-edge.
"I congratulate Helsinki and Lyon for the outstanding solutions that they put in place to make tourism in their cities smart and innovative. Our objective at EU level is to foster the sustainable development of tourism by showcasing innovative solutions from EU cities in tourism. We believe that the European Capital of Smart Tourism initiative will help to establish a framework of exchange of good practices between European cities, including learning from each other and networking, creating opportunities for cooperation and new partnerships," said Commissioner Elżbieta Bieńkowska, responsible for Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs. "Tourism is important for the EU economy so we all need to work together more effectively to be more competitive and grow in a sustainable way".
Lyon will official take its title at the official Award Ceremony (External link) on Nov 7, 2018, in Brussels.