The CityDNA Tórshavn Declaration: A Turning Point for Europe’s Visitor Ecosystems

The distance between Tórshavn and Verona marks the next stage in a conversation about the future of European city destinations; one that began with the Tórshavn Declaration and its attempt to distil the pressures, priorities and possibilities confronting the sector. As CityDNA prepares to bring its community together in Verona this October, the Declaration offers a timely point of reference. Its themes – collaboration, destination value, resident engagement, resilience and technological transformation – have not receded from the agenda; if anything, their interconnections have become more apparent. Revisiting the thinking captured in Tórshavn therefore feels like taking stock of the questions with which the European destination community now arrives in Verona, and of how the answers might shape CityDNA’s next strategic chapter.

When European city destinations gathered in Tórshavn, the capital of the Faroe Islands, for the City Destinations Alliance Autumn Conference 2025, they did so with a clear purpose: to participate in the co-creation of the Tórshavn Declaration. What emerged was not a finalised doctrine, but an important step, a shared articulation of priorities that now serves as a bridge between CityDNA’s ongoing conversations and the development of its next strategy. 

The Declaration reflects a collective moment of alignment, capturing what matters most to members as the organisation prepares for its next strategic cycle. At a time when DMOs face accelerating climate disruption, geopolitical instability, shifting resident expectations, and the profound shake-up of artificial intelligence, the Declaration consolidates member-driven insights into a coherent agenda for the future of European cities. It offers both diagnosis and direction: a shared understanding of the challenges ahead and a commitment to co-create practical solutions that respond to them.
 

A Collaborative Framework Born from PEST Priorities

The workshop process in Tórshavn used a PEST (Political, Economic, Social and Technological) framework to structure discussions around 20 core challenges identified by CityDNA members before the event. Participants self-selected into four groups and used a structured prioritisation approach to surface the most urgent pressures shaping the visitor economy.

The result was a clear pattern: despite differing contexts, European cities share deeply interconnected challenges. Collaboration, measurement, resident inclusion, digital capability and geopolitical uncertainty emerged as cross-cutting themes.

Maya Janssen, Managing Director Insights & Marketing Strategy of amsterdam&partners, who moderated the Political Workshop, observed: “This moment requires political clarity without political naivety. DMOs cannot solve geopolitical crises, but they can help cities listen, align, and act with purpose.”
 

Political Priorities: Collaboration as Strategy

One theme towered above all others: Collaboration Across Sectors. Participants recognised it not simply as operational coordination but as a political act, reinforcing tourism’s legitimacy within the urban system. Geopolitical instability ranked second, prompting calls for shared resilience planning and coordinated crisis communication. Sustainable mobility and infrastructure followed closely, reflecting the long-term challenge of transitioning to low-carbon systems.

As Maya Janssen summarised: “The task ahead is to match our ambition with what is truly feasible, and to do so collectively through strong public-private collaboration.”
 

Economic Priorities: Redefining Value Beyond Volume

Discussions revealed a widespread desire to move beyond outdated success metrics. Visitor numbers and room nights, delegates argued, cannot capture the full value of tourism. Increasingly, DMOs seek indicators that demonstrate returns for residents, local businesses, and the wider urban fabric.

Measurement and Success Metrics emerged as the top-ranked concern in both workshop and the post-conference survey. Participants also highlighted financial vulnerability and uneven funding models across Europe. Diversified revenue streams, transparent reinvestment of tourism taxes, and improved access to EU support were all deemed essential.

Economic sustainability, they agreed, must be multidimensional, grounded in accountability and shared benefit rather than growth for its own sake.
 

Social Priorities: From Promotion to Mediation

The Social Workshop which was the most heavily attended, examined the defining issue for modern DMOs: the balance between resident and visitor needs. Delegates stressed that sentiment surveys must evolve from passive measurement to active co-creation, with visible follow-through.

Authenticity and place-making ranked equally high, amid concerns about cities losing distinctiveness in a homogenised global marketplace. Participants strongly endorsed co-creation: involving communities, artists and cultural practitioners in shaping how destinations evolve and are represented. A successful visitor economy, they agreed, enhances belonging rather than eroding it.
 

Technological Priorities: AI as Disruption and Opportunity

Far from treating technology as a discrete category, the Technological Workshop viewed AI and digital transformation as structural forces shaping every other domain. David Peacock, Senior Advisor for the Future Tourism Group at Simpleview, a Granicus Company, who moderated the session, described technology as “the connective tissue of modern destinations: invisible, but decisive.”

AI dominated the discussion, seen as a shift even more disruptive than the arrival of the internet. Participants called for coordinated European frameworks addressing ethics, governance, data sovereignty and capacity building, ensuring smaller DMOs are not left behind. Concerns surfaced around digital dependency, authenticity in online storytelling, and widening digital skills gaps across Europe.
 

A European Blueprint with Global Relevance

Although grounded in European realities, the Tórshavn Declaration resonates globally. Urban destinations everywhere are grappling with resident pressure, climate urgency, digital acceleration, governance complexity and evolving business models.

Its distinguishing feature is its method: a co-created, consensus-driven process, not top-down instruction. It is collective intelligence in practice, a model other regions may increasingly follow. As Barbara Jamison-Woods, President of CityDNA and moderator of the Social Workshop, reflected: “This Declaration is a compass. It does not prescribe every step, but it sets the direction we will walk together.”
 

What Comes Next: Toward the 2027-2029 Strategy

CityDNA will integrate insights from Tórshavn into upcoming programmes, including the 2026 International Conference & General Assemblyin Helsinki. The Declaration also lays the groundwork for the organisation’s next strategic plan (2027–2029).

Short-term actions include case studies on crisis management, cross-sector governance, advanced measurement frameworks and continued digital upskilling. Mid-term efforts will focus on EU funding advocacy, new community platforms and shared digital resilience strategies. Long-term, CityDNA aims to build a living system of monitoring and mutual learning.
 

A Call to Action for DMOs Worldwide

The Tórshavn Declaration is not an ending but an invitation: to rethink, reframe and rebuild. It signals a future shaped not by promotional strength, but by collaborative intelligence, social legitimacy, ethical technology and economic transparency.

From Tórshavn’s windswept coastline, CityDNA members voiced a shared truth: cities thrive when tourism strengthens communities, protects identity, and invests in long-term resilience. And as the organisation now shapes its next strategy, one message echoes across every workshop: the Declaration is the starting point – not the finish line – for the visitor ecosystems Europe must build next.

Registrations are open for the upcoming CityDNA Autumn Conference 2026 in Verona, to be held between the 19th and 21st of 2026
 

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