(ANSA) - BELGRADE, 09 AUG - Bratislava and Ljubljana are among the ten European cities that have been shortlisted for the 2020 European Capital of Smart Tourism competition. The other cities selected among 35 applications are Breda (The Netherlands), Bremerhaven (Germany), Gothenburg (Sweden), Karlsruhe (Germany), Malaga (Spain), Nice (France), Ravenna (Italy) and Torino (Italy), announced the European Capital of Smart Tourism initiative, implemented by the European Commission.

The initiative aims at "promoting smart tourism in the EU, foster innovative, sustainable and inclusive tourism development." Helsinki and Lyon won the first edition of the competition last year. The two winning cities in 2020 will benefit from communication and branding support. The winners, selected for their achievements in sustainability, digitalization, cultural heritage, creativity and accessibility, will be announced in October, the initiative said. (ANSA).