ECTN Awards 'Destination of Sustainable Cultural Tourism 2026' Public Choice Voting Now Open

Read the entries for the 2026 Sustainable Cultural Tourism Award and cast your vote at the Public Choice Voting page.

Voting procedure

1. Select the category and the entry you wish to vote on.
2. You will be asked to insert your name and email address. Then you will be authenticated to vote.
3. You may view all finalist entries by category.
4. Vote for your preferred candidate.
5. You have 1 vote per category.

It is not mandatory to vote on all categories; you may opt to vote on a single category only or selected categories of interest.

Thank you for your vote!

Closing Date: 15 September 2026

The winners and runners-up (1st, 2nd and 3rd prize) will be announced at the Awards ceremony to take place on Skiathos island, Greece, on 24 September 2026, at the 19th ECTN Conference gala dinner. All finalists are invited to the Awards ceremony and the ECTN Conference.

Finalists by category in alphabetical order:

Tourism Resilience

​(linked to the INSPIRES SMP-COSME project)

• Specially Protected Cultural Monument the Turaida Museum Reserve, by Turaida Museum Reserve, Latvia
• Tara Hategului – Resilient Rural Tourism through Community Stewardship and Heritage Conservation, by Retezat Tourism Association, Hunedoara County, Romania 

Creative Tourism and Co-Created Cultural Tourism Experiences

(supported by the Creative Tourism Network)

• Cultural Climate Change Starts in the North – Co-Created by the Community, by City of Oulu / BusinessOulu, Northern Ostrobothnia, Finland
• Mziskari – A Sustainable Gastronomy Network in Georgia, by LEPL - Georgian National Tourism Administration, Georgia
• Reviving Myrsini: Regenerative Village Tourism through Olive Culture, by Peloponnese Region, Greece
• Small Fishing Academy Pilchard, Fažana, Istria, by Fažana Tourst Board, Istria, Croatia 

Digitalisation in Smart Tourism - enhancing visitor experiences 

(supported by Europeana, linked to Smart Tour Interreg Europe project)

• Dubrovnik Pass - A Smart Digital Ecosystem for Cultural Heritage and Visitor Experience, by City of Dubrovnik, Croatia
• From Heritage Assets to Smart Experiences: Digital Innovation for Year-Round Cultural Tourism at Balaton Uplands, by Lake Balaton Development Coordination Agency, Hungary
• Lost Spaces documentary VR experience set within the Buffer Zone of the divided city of Nicosia, by CYENS - Centre of Excellence, Nicosia, Cyprus
• "Vacanze in salute" - Healthy holidays in the Veneto Region, by Municipality of Jesolo, Veneto Region, Italy 

Transnational Thematic Tourism products involving Culture and Heritage

• Dual Pilgrim - Way of St. James (Spain) and Kumano Kodo (Japan), by Turismo de Santiago de Compostela, Spain
• Significant Cemeteries for Sustainable Europe: Regenerating "Silent Cities" into Gardens of Peace, by European Cemeteries Route, Cultural Route of the Council of Europe
• The Smuggle Tour (ŠVERC TURA), an immersive cross-border cultural experience connecting Slovenia and Italy, by Public Tourist Office Nova Gorica and Vipava Valley, Slovenia

Active, Slow and Accessible Cultural Tourism

(supported by European Network for Accessible Tourism and European Cycling Federation - coordinator of the Active Tourism Coalition)

• Camino South Istria (Pula, Medulin, Vodnjan, Fažana, Ližnjan, Marčana), by South Istria Cluster (Tourist Boards of Pula, Fažana, Medulin, Ližnjan, Marčana, Vodnjan) in partnership with the Brotherhood of St. James – Croatia
• Drava Bike: A Sustainable Cycling Journey Through the Cultural Heritage of the Drava River, by Regional Development Agency Podravje – Maribor, Slovenia
• Štrekna Cycling Path - From Former Railway to Green Mobility Experience, by Koroška Tourist Board, Slovenia 

Regenerative Tourism Synergies with Culture and Heritage

• Ethnographic Food Cultural Experiences in the Central Azorean Islands (Pico, São Jorge & Faial), by Oh! My Cod Food & Cultural Experiences, Azores Islands - Triangle Island, Portugal
• Mazjumprava Cultural Quarter, heritage-led regeneration initiative, by Riga Municipality, Latvia
• North Sea Passport, a regenerative tourism initiative connecting visitors with the unique cultural landscape of the Wadden Sea region, by North Sea Tourism Agency, Lower Saxony, Germany.

Further information

Read more about the ECTN Awards 2026 Edition Overall Theme, "Sustainable Tourism Strategy and Culture Compass for Europe: Synergies for Regenerative, Smart and Resilient Cultural Tourism" at the ECTN Awards webpage.