Benidorm represents Europe as an example of sustainable and smart tourism at Osaka World Expo 2025

Benidorm has been selected by the European Commission as one of three European destinations invited to participate in the official meeting between the top tourism officials of the European Commission and the Government of Japan, which took place this Monday at the European Pavilion of the Osaka World Expo. Benidorm has been chosen as a model of good practices in smart tourism destinations, along with Turin, within the framework of the 'Sustainable EU Tourism – Shaping the Tourism of Tomorrow' project.

This event was organized by the European Commission and the European Travel Commission, and was attended by the European Commissioner for Sustainable Transport and Tourism, Apostolos Tzitzikostas; the Executive Director of the European Travel Commission (ETC), Eduardo Santander; the Deputy Commissioner of the Japan Tourism Agency, Takeshi Nakano; and the Mayor of Benidorm, Toni Pérez, along with other representatives.

For the first time since the creation of the European Commission, tourism has a specific portfolio under the Commissioner for Transport and Tourism, reinforcing the strategic importance of this sector in European policies. At this meeting, Toni Pérez highlighted the Benidorm model as a European example of sustainable tourism management, highlighting its recognition as a "European Green Pioneer of Smart Tourism 2025."

Thus, the city presented its experience in sustainability and tourism digitalisation, sharing the space with Vienna and Turin. As part of this event organised by the European Commission, Benidorm screened its official video as a Green Pioneer of Smart Tourism 2025 and presented its model to tourism officials from the EU and Japan, thus consolidating its position as "an international benchmark in tourism governance, efficient water management, and sustainable transition," said Toni Pérez.

Participation in this universal fair in Osaka represents "a new milestone for Benidorm, the result of years of continuous work since 2015, and especially at the European level since 2022, through projects such as recognition in the guide to best practices for European destinations (Sustainable EU Tourism), the 'Green Pioneer' distinction or recognition as a finalist for 'Green Leaf 2027', whose candidacy we will defend in the coming days in Lithuania," the mayor highlighted.

Strategic presence in the Japanese and Asian markets

The work agenda in Japan during these days, which also includes the participation of Visit Benidorm Manager Leire Bilbao, has expanded due to the coincidence with the Japan Tourism Expo (JATA Tourism Expo Japan 2025), the main professional event for the sector in Asia and the Pacific.

Benidorm is participating, under the umbrella of the European Commission and the European Travel Commission, in a workshop with Japanese travel agents and at a shared counter with other European destinations, thus reinforcing its sustainable brand image and international positioning.

The workshop with the Japan Travel Bureau and leading agencies in the country allows Benidorm to bring its sustainable offerings to a strategic market, at a time when the new direct Madrid-Tokyo flight connection is consolidating and opportunities are opening up for future connections with Alicante and Valencia airports.

This international presence, promoted and facilitated by the European Commission and the European Travel Commission, represents "a unique opportunity for Benidorm, allowing it to advance its global positioning as a smart, resilient, and sustainable tourist destination," concluded Pérez.