Paphos shortlisted in European smart capital contest

The Paphos tourism board (Etap) this week has released a statement congratulating the Paphos municipality for competing among other cities in order to be designated as the European Capital of Smart Tourism for 2023.

Paphos has been shortlisted for the title, among 29 other candidate cities from 13 different countries.

“The Paphos tourism board has fully acknowledged and embraced the approach of the Paphos municipality, which it drew up four years ago,” Etap said.

“It is a combination with innovative initiatives and other actions in the wider region, allowing Paphos today to stand out on a European level and compete with other well-known tourist destinations,” it added.

Paphos’ application process for the competition was handled by both the regional tourism board and the municipality.

“This European distinction rewards the efforts being made to make the destination smart, while at the same time encouraging the networking and strengthening of all destinations and facilitating the exchange of best practices,” Etap stated.

Following the shortlisting, Paphos, as well as all other candidate cities, will have to present their case in front of a judging committee in November of this year.

In the event that Paphos is declared the winner, it is expected that it will receive specialised support and training in its communication and branding efforts for 2023.

This includes the creation of a promotional video, a custom-made hashtag for the city, as well as other bespoke promotional activities on both a European and global level.