City Destinations Alliance
The alliance of Tourist Boards, Convention Bureaux and Destination Management 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.
Call for Tender
CityDNA is seeking conference curators!
City Destinations Alliance is seeking conference curators who can develop inspiring, innovative, and forward-thinking programmes with original formats and moderate the entire conference in an engaging manner. They will have to demonstrate a solid network and experience when recruiting speakers and conceptualising international events as well as a solid knowledge of the tourism and Meetings Industry sectors.
Accessibility Survey
Accessibility is the tool, Inclusion is the Objective
We want to help destinations create a more welcoming environment for people with disabilities! City Destinations Alliance and Destinations International are collaborating on a global accessibility report to investigate the evolving accessibility landscape in destinations across Europe and North America.
Reality Check!: register now!
CityDNA International Conference, April 24-27, 2024
In a world of more and more artificial content, will #humanmade become the new quality mark? Do dispersal strategies work to alleviate visitor pressures? How inclusive is your event design really? When did you last check your green storytelling in the post-EU Green Claims Directive reality? And what do you do, when reality truly hits, and you need to reimagine everything?
Join us for a series of big and collaborative reality checks, as we meet for the City Destinations Alliance “Reality Check!” International Conference in Bologna, April 24-27, 2024!
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
![[REALITY CHECK! ✔️] #StrategyCheck on #DispersalStrategies: Do Dispersal Strategies actually help alleviate visitor pressure? At the City Destinations Alliance conference #RealityCheck, programmed by GROUP NAO, we will dive into a data-based and experience-based #realitycheck on dispersal strategies. Most destinations have introduced strategies to spread our visitors across the city or across seasons, to ensure that tourism is dispersed beyond traditional touristic hotspots. But do dispersal strategies actually work in practice?
Get a data-based fact-check on the impact of dispersal strategies from @ForwardKeys @Olivier Ponti and @Miguel Angel Perez @visit Valencia.
Joining the discussion of dispersal strategy experiences in what works and what doesn’t, we will also hear the experiences from both @Florence CVB @Carlotta Ferrari and @Rikke Holm Petersen @Wonderful Copenhagen.
Do you have a dispersal strategy too? And has it had the intended impact to spread out visitors across neighbourhoods and seasons? Be sure to join our joint #realitycheck on dispersal strategies.
A session not to be missed during #CityDNA #RealityCheck conference in Bologna Welcome from April 24-27, 2024.
Be sure to register for your spot before April 17:
https://buff.ly/47EvwKs](https://citydestinationsalliance.eu/wp-content/plugins/social-wall/img/placeholder.png)
[REALITY CHECK! ✔️] #StrategyCheck on #DispersalStrategies: Do Dispersal Strategies actually help alleviate visitor pressure? At the City Destinations Alliance conference #RealityCheck, programmed by GROUP NAO, we will dive into a data-based and experience-based #realitycheck on dispersal ...strategies. Most destinations have introduced strategies to spread our visitors across the city or across seasons, to ensure that tourism is dispersed beyond traditional touristic hotspots. But do dispersal strategies actually work in practice?
Get a data-based fact-check on the impact of dispersal strategies from @ForwardKeys @Olivier Ponti and @Miguel Angel Perez @visit Valencia.
Joining the discussion of dispersal strategy experiences in what works and what doesn’t, we will also hear the experiences from both @Florence CVB @Carlotta Ferrari and @Rikke Holm Petersen @Wonderful Copenhagen.
Do you have a dispersal strategy too? And has it had the intended impact to spread out visitors across neighbourhoods and seasons? Be sure to join our joint #realitycheck on dispersal strategies.
A session not to be missed during #CityDNA #RealityCheck conference in Bologna Welcome from April 24-27, 2024.
Be sure to register for your spot before April 17:
https://buff.ly/47EvwKs
[REALITY CHECK! ✔️] #REALITY up for negotiation as we explore the future of #AUTHENTICITY in the era of #ARTIFICIAL… at the City Destinations Alliance conference #RealityCheck, programmed by GROUP NAO.
In a world exploding with AI-generated content, we will meet the world’s first ...virtual human travel influencer Esther Olofsson and her creator Maarten Reijgersberg of RAUWcc.
We will hear from Davide Maggi and Cesarine how GenAI is in fact part of bringing what might be the most authentic experience of Italian culture to thousands of visitors.
And Pernille Tranberg Dataethics.eu will add perspective on what this all means to our sense and understanding of reality, and why she thinks we will need to continue to negotiate the future of authenticity in the many years to come.
A discussion not to be missed during #CityDNA #RealityCheck conference in Bologna Welcome from April 24-27, 2024.
Be sure to register for your spot before April 17:
https://buff.ly/47EvwKs
[EU DIALOGUE 🌐] Don’t miss your last chance to be part of a groundbreaking event! Join us in Brussels on April 17, 2024, for a unique gathering where the Meetings Industry meets European policymakers. Dive into discussions at #EUDialogue and help shape the future together. 🤝
🚨 ...TODAY is the deadline to register! Secure your spot now to be part of the conversation that will impact our society and destinations worldwide. 🌍 Register here: https://buff.ly/49U4nDY
Explore key topics such as the pivotal role of professional events, sustainability initiatives, the EU’s Transition Pathway for Tourism, trade policies, operational challenges, and the crucial statistics driving the evolution of the Meetings Industry in Europe. 📊🌿
This flagship event is presented by visit.brussels in collaboration with JMIC (Joint Meetings Industry Council), European Exhibition Industry Alliance, and City Destinations Alliance. 🤝
🗓️ Act now; don’t let this exclusive opportunity slip away! #CityDNA #MeetingsIndustry #Eventprofs #PositiveImpact 💼🇪🇺✨
![Lightbox link for post with description [REALITY CHECK! ✔️] #StrategyCheck on...](https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.30808-6/438657565_837394591763719_8626875692220749670_n.jpg?_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=5f2048&_nc_ohc=ufQuG6ipBlsAb7u3Wgp&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&edm=ALdPpPkEAAAA&oh=00_AfBM0faG8siMhZ_RocEin8BzsenFjOMy9REp5YM4n79R_Q&oe=662415B9){kind=link}
![Lightbox link for post with description [REALITY CHECK! ✔️] #REALITY up for...](https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.30808-6/437898073_836822295154282_364334913177590875_n.jpg?_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=5f2048&_nc_ohc=MsApdNs8F1kAb4-L3dq&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&edm=ALdPpPkEAAAA&oh=00_AfB7J8ovKqVt5PkXfAZy7xmrlvKcNLX2JzhA6QwxmEY6oQ&oe=66242526){kind=link}
![Lightbox link for post with description [EU DIALOGUE 🌐] Don’t miss your last chance...](https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.30808-6/437903384_834904515346060_6826248551004053842_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_p720x720&_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=5f2048&_nc_ohc=ohSQ8wWj2L0Ab58td8P&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&edm=ALdPpPkEAAAA&oh=00_AfBA_6KoOf1jZNcGwFw7NVpxUIzijzitiRmweLCpMroZNA&oe=66240D1D){kind=link}
![Lightbox link for post with description [PRESS RELEASE 📣] /// City Destinations...](https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.30808-6/435773838_834835402019638_5382391162771065802_n.jpg?_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=5f2048&_nc_ohc=nUw8dFPXq-EAb6JvG0h&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&edm=AKIiGfEEAAAA&oh=00_AfBWeCUF5lQQiKxIGwllJ0zllccyvjXS3MmmDEqhauyuHg&oe=66242BE4){kind=link}
[PRESS RELEASE 📣] /// City Destinations Alliance “Reality Check!” International Conference: Exploring Authenticity and Innovation in Urban Tourism ///
From April 24-27, 2024, the City Destinations Alliance International Conference & General Assembly “Reality Check! On facts ...and fiction in urban tourism” will unite more than 200 leisure and business tourism professionals in the historic city of Bologna to explore the essence of authenticity and reality in urban tourism.
Read the press release: https://buff.ly/3PZiT6e
![Lightbox link for post with description [REALITY CHECK! ✔️] #MergingRealities in...](https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.30808-6/434771623_834220218747823_766348783658574982_n.jpg?_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=5f2048&_nc_ohc=VNTnPNqSr3IAb52CoK3&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&edm=AKIiGfEEAAAA&oh=00_AfDN8fbZP6t_BmuW-xVDnfMFQY86FUMqI_xqM0Zp_PT2Qw&oe=662434A7){kind=link}
[REALITY CHECK! ✔️] #MergingRealities in interactive and engaging #VisitorExperiences… At the City Destinations Alliance conference #RealityCheck, programmed by GROUP NAO, we will explore the immense potential of new technologies in adding layers and qualities to visitor experience.
...From Gelderland and Veluwe, you should join this session to learn how Toerisme Veluwe Arnhem Nijmegen's Omar van Beek is adding character, historical layers and interactive surprise to visitor experiences of historical places. And extend your horizon with the potential of #ExtendedReality technologies, as we learn from #MuseumsintheMetaverse University of Glasgow Pauline Mackay who is pushing forward Scotland’s cultural regeneration and innovation with virtual offers that don’t replace traditional museums, but enhance what they could offer by merging the virtual and physical into unchartered grounds for experiencing culture and heritage.
This is a session not to be missed during #CityDNA #RealityCheck conference in Bologna Welcome from April 24-27, 2024.
Be sure to register for your spot before April 17: https://buff.ly/47EvwKs
[ACCESSIBILITY SURVEY 🧠👩🦯🦻🦽🗣️] Tourism and Meetings Industry professionals, we need your input!
We want to help destinations create a more welcoming environment for people with disabilities! City Destinations Alliance and Destinations International are collaborating ...on a global accessibility report to investigate the evolving accessibility landscape in destinations across Europe and North America.
👉 Take the survey: https://buff.ly/4c9jAmR
#CityDNA #accessibility #accessibilitymatters #eventprofs #accessibilityreport
![Lightbox link for post with description [REALITY CHECK! ✔️] #RealityCheck on the ...](https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.30808-6/436342701_833456168824228_8515095889859868583_n.jpg?_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=5f2048&_nc_ohc=VATvJDq438kAb5fLU6v&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&edm=AKIiGfEEAAAA&oh=00_AfDF-mw4_Yy2NqU-lrNd2NpUxfymLsK1K9uZjapzY28nKA&oe=66241D21){kind=link}
[REALITY CHECK! ✔️] #RealityCheck on the #DMOs role in community tourism and driving community wellbeing… At the City Destinations Alliance conference #RealityCheck, programmed by GROUP NAO, Carron Tobin, Executive Director of SCOTO and Pia Lange Christensen, CEO of VisitAarhus, will be ...unfolding the role of the DMO in community-powered tourism, with Aileen Crawford from Glasgow Convention Bureau driving the conversation forward.
Community and localhood continue to be core focus in most destinations. But does the DMO truly understand what the community needs, and how to add value and build wellbeing with tourism in those communities? Don’t miss this session to hear Carron Tobin discuss recalibrating community tourism in Scotland and reevaluating DMO roles in that process, alongside Pia Lange Christensen who will share how the DMO successfully developed a volunteer corps and present new measures on the impact of volunteering in local communities.
This is a session not to be missed during #CityDNA #RealityCheck conference in Bologna Welcome from April 24-27, 2024.
Be sure to register for your spot before April 17: https://buff.ly/47EvwKs
![Lightbox link for post with description [DESTINATIONS EXCHANGE EUROPE 🌐] Yesterday and...](https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.30808-6/436292585_833012218868623_6508984827883136363_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_p720x720&_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=5f2048&_nc_ohc=J8PGwr_cSCkAb6IfwCX&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&edm=AKIiGfEEAAAA&oh=00_AfCRn95f28FV6qQ9HxuDqt09StE88j_EYfvEz9nVCdp7Eg&oe=66241063){kind=link}
[DESTINATIONS EXCHANGE EUROPE 🌐] Yesterday and today was City Destinations Alliance & ETOA - European tourism association’s B2B event, Destinations Exchange Europe in London!
While yesterday was all about appointments between hosted buyers and suppliers, today was dedicated to ...panel discussions and insight sessions.
Our president, Petra Stušek shared her extensive experience on managing a successful visitor economy.
#CityDNA #DEE24 #B2BWorkshop #TravelIndustry