Sofia has been shortlisted among eight finalists for the European Capitals of Tourism 2027 competition. The Bulgarian capital was selected following an independent expert evaluation of 43 applications from 18 countries in the category for cities with more than 100,000 inhabitants.
The 2027 edition is the first under the competition’s new format, which brings together the former European Capital of Smart Tourism and Green Pioneer of Smart Tourism initiatives under the unified title European Capitals of Tourism.
Sofia’s application was developed by the Visit Sofia team in cooperation with experts from different departments of Sofia Municipality, cultural institutions and partner organisations.
The application focuses on four key areas: accessibility, sustainability, digitalisation, and cultural heritage and creativity – the four areas used to assess destinations in the category for cities with more than 100,000 inhabitants. It highlights specific policies, measures and results related to public transport, cleaner air, open urban data, digital visitor services and innovative approaches to presenting the city’s cultural heritage.
“I believed in this application from day one because I believe in the city. I supported the Visit Sofia team in telling Sofia’s story as we see it and as we want to present it to the world – a city with thousands of years of history, a mountain within easy reach, a strong cultural identity and the energy of a contemporary European capital. Sofia has its own character and a story worth telling. I am delighted that, for the first time, we are among the finalists and have the opportunity to show Europe what makes our city special,” said Vasil Terziev, Mayor of Sofia.
The application presents Sofia as a compact and well-connected capital where cultural heritage, nature, the urban environment, public transport, digital services and everyday local life come together as one experience.
“We presented Sofia not only as a city for visitors, but as the city experienced by the people who live here. Instead of scale, we focused on proximity and called the concept Capital of Proximity. With this idea, Sofia has reached the final for the first time in the competition’s history, in the very first edition under its new format. In November, we will present it in Brussels,” said Nadya Balabanova, Head of Marketing, Advertising and Information at Visit Sofia.
Applications were assessed by independent experts according to established criteria applied to all participating cities.
“This assessment was carried out by independent European experts who analyse data rather than campaigns. For us, it is an external evaluation of the work being done across Sofia’s entire tourism ecosystem,” said Anton Penev, Director of Visit Sofia.
The shortlisted destinations will present their applications to the European Jury on 18 and 19 November 2026 in Brussels. Following the presentations, two cities – one from each category – will be awarded the European Capital of Tourism 2027 title.
The competition is open to cities across the European Union, as well as cities in non-EU countries participating in the Single Market Programme.
European Capitals of Tourism 2027 finalists
Tourism in Sofia in 2025
In 2025, Sofia recorded 1,377,544 overnight visitors and 3,060,923 overnight stays, representing increases of 9% and 6% respectively compared with 2024. International visitors accounted for 62% of arrivals and 68% of overnight stays.
