On November 18 and 19, 2026, the final defense of the candidacies will take place in Brussels, after which the jury will determine the two cities that will hold the title of "European Capital of Tourism 2027" in their respective categories. Sofia has already managed to break through to the final phase, becoming one of the two finalists in the group of cities with a population of over 100,000, having impressed the organizers out of a total of 43 applications from 18 countries. The achievement was confirmed by the Sofia Municipality (SM), and the full list of finalists and their profiles are already uploaded on the official website of the competition.
This year, the competition is being held for the first time in a renewed format, combining the previous initiatives "European Capital of Smart Tourism" and "European Green Pioneer of Smart Tourism" under the common name "European Capitals of Tourism." Eligibility for participation extends to cities from the EU as well as those from countries included in the Single Market Programme.
Sofia's success relies on solid indicators from the past year. In 2025, the capital reached a historic peak of 3,060,923 overnight stays, exceeding the 3 million threshold for the first time. The total number of overnight visitors was 1,377,544, which represents a 9% increase compared to 2024, and the number of realized overnight stays is 6% higher. The data, presented by the director of the Municipal Enterprise "Tourism" Anton Penev at the Sofia Tourism Report 2025 forum, emphasizes that international guests account for 62% of the visitor flow and generate 68% of the overnight stays. "This evaluation is made by independent European experts who analyze data, not campaigns. For us, it is an external assessment of the work done by the entire tourism ecosystem of Sofia," commented Penev.
Sofia's candidacy was prepared by the team of the Municipal Enterprise "Tourism" at the Sofia Municipality (Visit Sofia), incorporating the expertise of cultural institutions, various municipal structures, and external partners. The focus is placed on four areas:
- accessibility;
- sustainability;
- digitalization;
- cultural heritage and creativity.
According to the municipality, the documents present concrete results in the management of public transport, measures for improving air quality, transparency through open urban data, and the modern digitization of cultural heritage. The vision itself presents the city as a compact and connected capital, where nature and services are part of everyday life. Nadya Balabanova, Head of the "Marketing, Advertising and Information" department at the Municipal Enterprise "Tourism," explains: "We presented Sofia not only for tourists, but as it is for the people who live here. We focused on proximity instead of scale and named the idea 'Capital of Proximity'. With it, Sofia is among the finalists for the first time since the competition has existed, and that is in the first edition of the new format. In November, we will defend it in Brussels."
The Mayor of Sofia, Vasil Terziev, also expressed his support for the candidacy, as quoted by the SM press office: "I believed in this candidacy from the first day because I believe in the city. I supported the Visit Sofia team to tell the story of Sofia as we see it and as we want to show it to the world - a city with a thousand-year history, a mountain within reach, strong culture, and the energy of a modern European capital. Sofia has its own character and its own story, which are worth telling. I am glad that for the first time we are among the finalists of the competition and that we have the opportunity to show Europe what makes our city special."