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.

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.
    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
    Research & Market Intelligence | 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

[REALITY CHECK! ✔️] #TheRealityofRisks – is there a stronger risk-sharing model for business events? At the City Destinations Alliance conference #RealityCheck, programmed by Group NAO, Bettina Reventlow Mourier from Wonderful Copenhagen will share how Copenhagen CVB is approaching the ...#riskmanagement of business events with new insights and new approaches to sharing risks across the business community.
From megatrends to contractual challenges, risk plays a major role for buyers and suppliers in deciding on a destination or in providing a quote for a business event. Copenhagen CVB published a new white paper to set out the possibilities and approaches to 1) identify key risks and 2) developing scenarios for how to better manage and share those risks.
More relevant than ever - in the aftermath of a global pandemic and in the new reality of war and political unrest - the international meetings industry must also face the reality of risk and understand how better to approach them.
Join Bettina’s session at the #RealityCheck conference in Bologna Welcome from April 24-27, where Bettina will share key insights from Copenhagen’s risk research, and facilitate a workshop, where all participants can learn how to work as a #community and #visitorecosystem with risks and risk-sharing.
Be sure to register for your spot here: https://buff.ly/47EvwKs

[EU DIALOGUE 🌐] Get ready for an unparalleled convergence in Brussels on April 17, 2024, as the Meetings Industry and European policymakers unite at the #EUDialogue to forge the future together.
🤝 Registrations are open until April 12 – secure your spot today and ensure your ...participation in the conversation that shapes our collective impact on society and destinations worldwide. 🌍 Register here: https://buff.ly/49U4nDY
Deep dive into the pivotal role of professional events, sustainability initiatives, the EU’s Transition Pathway for Tourism, trade policies, operational hurdles, and the critical statistics that are driving the evolution of the Meetings Industry in Europe. 📊🌿 This is your chance to be at the forefront of innovation and contribute to economic prosperity! 🚀
This flagship event, held during the Belgian Presidency of the Council of the European Union, is brought to you by visit.brussels in partnership with JMIC (Joint Meetings Industry Council), European Exhibition Industry Alliance, and City Destinations Alliance. 🤝 Don’t let this exclusive opportunity pass you by! 🗓️
#CityDNA #MeetingsIndustry #Eventprofs #PositiveImpact 💼🇪🇺✨

[REALITY CHECK! ✔️] #WhenRealityHits – what can the DMO do? At the City Destinations Alliance conference #RealityCheck, programmed by GROUP NAO, we welcome Lviv Tourism Office 🇺🇦 to share how they went from a reality of tourism growth and focus on increasing international consumption to... a complete shift of role and impact in a reality suddenly transformed by full-scale war.

Marta Kuzyk Sapylo and Yaroslava Yaroslavska, Partnership Development Managers with Lviv Tourism Office will share how they are #RethinkingTourism to reflect their current reality. This involves shifting focus to domestic tourism and the city guests that now consists mostly of Ukranians who cannot go abroad, internally displaced persons, volunteers, journalists, business travellers, and patients of rehabilitation centres – all of whom require new services from the city and destination.

Marta and Yaroslava will talk about their renewed focus on recovery and rebooting of the city and society with social projects like #TheCityHeals - excursions and visits to cultural events for patients undergoing treatment in medical facilities. And they will share how they are rethinking their entire visitor ecosystem to make it accessible and welcoming to people with disabilities and reduced mobility.

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 here: https://buff.ly/47EvwKs

[BE>FUTURE 🌐] 📣 Good news for innovators in Europe's Business Events sector! 🌟 The deadline for BEFuture's Call for Best Practices has been extended until March 30, 2024! 🚀 Don't miss out on this opportunity to showcase your impactful projects focused on ...sustainability, digitalisation, and resilience. Shape the future with us!
Apply now: https://buff.ly/3T4w0F6
#BEFutureEurope #MICEIndustry #SustainableEvents #RegenerativeTourism #CityDNA

[CITY CARDS EXPERT MEETING 💳] Don't forget to register for the 13th City Cards Expert Meeting that will be held in Visit Tallinn on June 6-7, 2024!
This event is open to tourism professionals working on city cards schemes within a DMO (Product Managers, Project Leaders, Marketing ...Managers...) who are looking to improve – but also share – their knowledge with other participants.
🤝 Register now: https://buff.ly/49OI9n6
📌 Share knowledge and insights, stay ahead of trends, and participate in a valuable event with qualitative networking opportunities and substantive sessions.
#CityDNA #CityDNACityCards #citycards

[ACCESSIBILITY SURVEY 🧠👩‍🦯🦻🦽🗣️] 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

[REALITY CHECK! ✔️] Less than 6 weeks left before the start of the CityDNA International Conference & General Assembly 2024 in Bologna Welcome! ✨
🎟️ Don't miss out on EARLY BIRDS discounts until March 15! Register today!
Don't forget that you can also benefit from ...the special group rates if three or more from your organisation attend! Secure your spot and make the most of this fantastic opportunity! 🚀👥 https://buff.ly/47EvwKs
We can't wait to welcome you to Bologna! 🎉
#CityDNA #RealityCheck

[BE>FUTURE 🌐] 🚨 Time is running out to shape the future of Europe's Business Events sector! 🌐 Elevate your impact by participating in BEFuture's Call for Best Practices. Share your innovative projects aligned with sustainability, digitalisation, and resilience.

...One week left! Apply by March 18, 2024: https://buff.ly/3T4w0F6
Don't miss the opportunity to be a part of this transformative journey!

#BEFutureEurope #MICEIndustry #SustainableEvents #RegenerativeTourism