CityDNA
Advocating hard for European DMOs in a transformative era
THE CITY DESTINATIONS ALLIANCE OF EUROPEAN CVBS AND DMOS( CITYDNA) EXPLAINS ITS ONGOING STRATEGY, ITS PART IN THE EU DIALOGUE 2024 AND BIG PLANS FOR THE FUTURE
W ith tourism now explicitly recognised in the EU Commissioner’ s portfolio, Destination Management Organisations( DMOs) have an historic opportunity to influence EU tourism policy.
From high-level EU dialogues to strategic industry gatherings, CityDNA is mobilising DMOs to shape the future of tourism in Europe, strengthening their voice, expanding influence and driving meaningful change.
The EU Dialogue CityDNA was a key partner in the EU Dialogue 2024, a landmark event organised in collaboration with visit. brussels, JMIC( Joint Meetings Industry Council) and EEIA( European Exhibition Industry Alliance) last April. Hosted as part of the Belgian Presidency of the Council of the European Union, over 180 industry professionals and EU policymakers from 15 member states were invited to drive positive change in the meetings industry. The outcome? A stronger recognition of the meetings industry’ s economic, social and sustainability contributions. The legacy of this event is The Meetings Industry Manifesto setting out key advocacy
priorities EU economic and policy framework.
One of the key takeaways from the EU Dialogue was the recognition that meetings and business events contribute far beyond tourism – they are powerful enablers of knowledge exchange, innovation, and sustainable development within destinations.
Policymakers stressed the need for harmonised data collection across European destinations to accurately measure the impact of the meetings industry as part of the visitor economy. Standardised KPIs are essential to illustrate how business events contribute to a city’ s intellectual capital, infrastructure development, and social cohesion. Additionally, the dialogue addressed the challenges of sustainable travel, particularly how EU transport policies can better support the meetings and events industry’ s transition to greener practices. Ensuring that business events align with the EU’ s objectives for a sustainable, digital, and resilient Europe is a shared priority that requires close collaboration between industry stakeholders and policymakers.
CityDNA intends to build on this momentum at its International
Conference in Budapest in April, which will include sessions on the evolution of not only meetings and events but incentive travel, by industry leaders from VOK DAMS and Sool Nua agencies.
New era for European DMOs CityDNA has been increasingly advocating for the strategic role of DMOs in shaping the visitor economy. Now, with the appointment of Apostolos Tzitzikostas as the EU Commissioner for Sustainable Transport and Tourism, DMOs have an historic opportunity to shape future EU tourism policy.
For the first time tourism is explicitly mentioned in an EU Commissioner’ s portfolio – a milestone achieved after years of lobbying from the sector. Commissioner Tzitzikostas has recognised DMOs as a key pillar of his strategy, alongside SMEs and local value chains. This effort is part of a broader strategy to ensure that tourism development benefits local communities and preserves cultural heritage.
CityDNA has also invited the Commissioner to speak at one of its upcoming events.
According to Barbara Jamison-Woods, president of CityDNA, it is a pivotal moment for DMOs in Europe.“ We must seize this opportunity to advocate for the vital role of city destinations in economic growth, sustainability and innovation.”
CEO Meeting in Monaco The 18th CityDNA CEO Meeting in Monaco( January 2025) brought together a record-breaking 50 CEOs from European DMOs. The meeting focused on critical challenges and opportunities shaping the future of the visitor economy, including:
Funding and financial sustainability – Addressing widespread defunding by developing innovative revenue models, leveraging tourism taxes and accessing EU funding.
AI and digital transformation – Exploring how AI can drive organisational change, enhance visitor
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