City Destinations Alliance Elects New Board at Helsinki General Assembly

On 22 April 2026, during the City Destinations Alliance International Conference & General Assembly in Helsinki, which brought together destination leaders and tourism professionals from across Europe, members of the association elected new Board representatives and a Vice-President.

At the City Destinations Alliance General Assembly, Maya Janssen (Amsterdam) was elected Vice-President for a one-year mandate.

Leena Lassila (Helsinki), Marie-Louise Schnurpfeil (Linz) and Y.T. Anderson (Oulu) were newly elected, while Gerry Lennon (Belfast) was re-elected as Board Member, each serving a three-year term.

“Cities don’t compete for visitors—they thrive through collaboration: learning, sharing, creating, and innovating together. As Vice-President of City Destinations Alliance, I aim to connect people, ideas, and action to shape a visitor economy that is sustainable, inclusive, and future-ready. As an Amsterdammer, I believe diversity strengthens cities—and leadership—and I’m committed to turning that belief into real impact by strengthening the CityDNA brand and increasing its value for—and connection with—its members.” said Maya Janssen, Managing Director Insights & Marketing Strategy, amsterdam&partners.

Barbara Jamison-Woods (London) continues as President, while Patrik Romano (Bologna) remains Treasurer. Sabine Schwanz (Madrid) and Patrick Bontinck (Brussels) also continue in their roles as Vice-Presidents.

“The level of interest in these elections sends a clear signal: our members are not only engaged, they are ready to lead. This new composition of the Board strengthens our collective capacity to act, to represent cities at European level, and to turn shared ambition into concrete impact for our communities.” said Barbara Jamison-Woods, President of City Destinations Alliance.

Gary Breen (Dublin), Łukasz Wysocki (Gdańsk), Michaela Spišáková Podoláková (Košice), Jurgen Moors (Maastricht) and Miguel Angel Pérez (Valencia) continue their respective mandates as Board Members of the association.
 

Current Executive Committee of City Destinations Alliance:

• Barbara Jamison, President (Head of Europe, Tourism and Convention Bureau, London & Partners)
• Patrick Bontinck, Vice-President (CEO, visit.brussels)
• Maya Janssen, Vice-President (Managing Director Insights & Marketing Strategy, amsterdam&partners)
• Sabine Schwanz, Vice-President (Director Travel Trade & Connectivity, Madrid Destino)
• Patrik Romano, Treasurer (Managing Director, Bologna Welcome)

Current Board Members of City Destinations Alliance:

• Gerry Lennon (CEO, Visit Belfast)
• Gary Breen (Head of Visitor Engagement, Fáilte Ireland Dublin)
• Łukasz Wysocki (President of the Board, Visit Gdansk)
• Leena Lassila (Director, Visitor & Talent Attraction, Helsinki Partners)
• Michaela Spišáková Podoláková (CEO, Visit Košice)
• Marie-Louise Schnurpfeil (Managing Director, Linz Tourismus)
• Jurgen Moors (Director, Maastricht Convention Bureau)
• Y.T. Anderson (President & CEO, Visit Oulu)
• Miguel Angel Pérez (Vice Deputy Director and Head of Markets, Connectivity and Major Projects Area, Visit València)

HQ Magazine was present in Helsinki to cover the event and will shortly publish on its website the key takeaways, main points of discussion and overall highlights from the conference and General Assembly.
 

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