Winners of the 2026 Destination of Sustainable Cultural Tourism Awards
The European Travel Commission, alongside the European Cultural Tourism Network, Europa Nostra, and NECSTouR, announced the winners of the Destination of Sustainable Cultural Tourism Awards 2026 during a ceremony held in Skiathos on 24 September 2026. The ninth edition of the contest, which evaluated 72 entries focusing on sustainable tourism strategy and the culture compass for Europe, recognized initiatives across six distinct categories.
Recognizing Excellence in Tourism Resilience
The Tourism Resilience category, linked to the INSPIRES SMP-COSME project, highlighted destinations that have successfully built long-term adaptive capacities. The Turaida Museum Reserve in Latvia secured recognition as a Specially Protected Cultural Monument under this initiative. Joining them in the resilience category was Tara Hategului, honored for resilient rural tourism achieved through community stewardship and heritage conservation, submitted by the Retezat Tourism Association in Hunedoara County, Romania.
Advancing Creative and Co-Created Cultural Tourism
Supported by the Creative Tourism Network, the Creative Tourism and Co-Created Cultural Tourism Experiences category celebrated projects that directly involve local populations and visitors in shared cultural expressions. Georgia earned recognition for Mziskari, a sustainable gastronomy network presented by the LEPL Georgian National Tourism Administration. Additional winners in this division included the City of Oulu and BusinessOulu from Northern Ostrobothnia, Finland, for their initiative “Cultural Climate Change Starts in the North – Co-Created by the Community.”
Further awards in the creative tourism sector went to the Fažana Tourist Board in Istria, Croatia, for the Small Fishing Academy Pilchard in Fažana, and the Peloponnese Region in Greece for “Reviving Myrsini: Regenerative Village Tourism through Olive Culture.”
Digital Innovation in Smart Tourism
The digitalisation in smart tourism category, supported by Europeana and linked to the Smart Tour Interreg Europe project, focused on enhancing visitor experiences through advanced digital tools. The City of Dubrovnik, Croatia, was recognized for the Dubrovnik Pass, functioning as a smart digital ecosystem for cultural heritage and visitor experience. CYENS – Centre of Excellence in Nicosia, Cyprus, earned honors for its Lost Spaces documentary VR experience set within the buffer zone of the divided city.
Rounding out the digital innovation category were the Lake Balaton Development Coordination Agency in Hungary for “From Heritage Assets to Smart Experiences: Digital Innovation for Year-Round Cultural Tourism at Balaton Uplands,” and the Municipality of Jesolo in the Veneto Region of Italy for “Vacanze in salute” (Healthy holidays in the Veneto Region).
Transnational Thematic Tourism and Heritage Routes
Supported by the European Travel Commission, the Transnational Thematic Tourism products category spotlighted collaborative projects bridging multiple regions or countries. The European Cemeteries Route, operating as a Cultural Route of the Council of Europe, was recognized for “Significant Cemeteries for Sustainable Europe: Regenerating ‘Silent Cities’ into Gardens of Peace.” Turismo de Santiago de Compostela in Spain was honored for the “Dual Pilgrim” initiative connecting the Way of St. James in Spain and the Kumano Kodo in Japan. The Public Tourist Office Nova Gorica and Vipava Valley in Slovenia also received recognition for "The Smuggle Tour (ŠVERC TURA)," an immersive cross-border cultural experience connecting Slovenia and Italy.
Active, Slow, and Accessible Cultural Tourism
Coordinated with support from ENAT and the ECF through the Active Tourism Coalition, this category celebrated active mobility and accessibility. The South Istria Cluster—comprising the tourist boards of Pula, Fažana, Medulin, Ližnjan, Marčana, and Vodnjan—in partnership with the Brotherhood of St. James – Croatia, was awarded for Camino South Istria. Slovenia secured two additional spots in this category: the Koroška Tourist Board for the Štrekna Cycling Path, transforming a former railway into a green mobility experience, and the Regional Development Agency Podravje – Maribor for Drava Bike, a sustainable cycling journey following the cultural heritage of the Drava River.
Regenerative Tourism Synergies with Culture and Heritage
The final category focused on regenerative tourism initiatives that actively restore and protect regional assets. The North Sea Tourism Agency in Lower Saxony, Germany, won for the North Sea Passport, connecting visitors with the Wadden Sea region’s cultural landscape. Oh! My Cod Food & Cultural Experiences in the Azores Islands was recognized for ethnographic food cultural experiences across Pico, São Jorge, and Faial. Finally, Riga Municipality in Latvia earned honors for the Mazjumprava Cultural Quarter, a heritage-led regeneration initiative.
The awards continue to provide a vital platform for destinations across Europe to share knowledge, foster networking, and promote best practices as local communities evaluate how to balance visitor growth with long-term ecological and cultural preservation.