Latvia's Turaida Museum Reserve and the City of Dubrovnik's smart-ticketing platform claimed first prizes in the 2026 Destination of Sustainable Cultural Tourism Awards, announced at a ceremony in Skiathos, Greece, on 24 September 2026.

The awards drew 72 entries from destinations across Europe. For the ninth consecutive year, the European Travel Commission (ETC), the European Cultural Tourism Network (ECTN), Europa Nostra and the Network of European Regions for Competitive and Sustainable Tourism (NECSTouR) jointly organized the competition. An expert jury with representatives from those bodies plus the European Network for Accessible Tourism (ENAT), the European Cyclists' Federation (ECF), Europeana, the Creative Tourism Network and INSPIRES selected the winners and runners-up across six categories.

This year's theme — "Sustainable Tourism Strategy and Culture Compass for Europe: Synergies for Regenerative, Smart and Resilient Cultural Tourism" — signals where European destination managers are directing investment: digitalization, regenerative programming and cross-border products that stretch demand beyond peak season.

Tourism Resilience

The Specially Protected Cultural Monument Turaida Museum Reserve in Latvia took first prize in the resilience category, linked to the INSPIRES SMP-COSME project. Second prize went to the Retezat Tourism Association in Hunedoara County, Romania, for "Tara Hategului — Resilient Rural Tourism through Community Stewardship and Heritage Conservation."

Creative and Gastronomy Tourism

The Georgian National Tourism Administration won the creative tourism category with "Mziskari," a sustainable gastronomy network — a signal that food-sourcing networks are becoming a core pillar of cultural tourism strategy rather than a marketing afterthought. The City of Oulu and BusinessOulu in Finland's Northern Ostrobothnia took second for community co-created programming. Fažana Tourist Board in Istria, Croatia, earned third prize for its Small Fishing Academy Pilchard, and the Peloponnese Region in Greece received a special mention for "Reviving Myrsini," a village-tourism project built around olive culture.

Digitalisation in Smart Tourism

Dubrovnik won first prize for the Dubrovnik Pass, a digital ecosystem for cultural heritage access and visitor management. CYENS – Centre of Excellence in Nicosia, Cyprus, took second for a VR documentary, "Lost Spaces," set in the divided city's Buffer Zone. Hungary's Lake Balaton Development Coordination Agency placed third for digital innovation aimed at year-round cultural tourism in the Balaton Uplands, and Jesolo in Italy's Veneto Region earned a special mention for "Vacanze in salute," a healthy-holidays program.

Transnational Products

The European Cemeteries Route, a Cultural Route of the Council of Europe, won the transnational category for regenerating "silent cities" into gardens of peace. Turismo de Santiago de Compostela took second for the Dual Pilgrim program linking the Way of St. James in Spain with Japan's Kumano Kodo. Slovenia's Public Tourist Office Nova Gorica and Vipava Valley placed third for the ŠVERC TURA smuggle tour, an immersive cross-border experience connecting Slovenia and Italy.

Active, Slow and Accessible Tourism

A six-destination cluster in southern Istria — the tourist boards of Pula, Medulin, Vodnjan, Fažana, Ližnjan and Marčana, partnering with the Brotherhood of St. James Croatia — won for Camino South Istria. Slovenia's Koroška Tourist Board took second for the Štrekna cycling path, built on a former railway corridor. The Regional Development Agency Podravje – Maribor earned third for Drava Bike, a cycling route through the Drava River's cultural heritage.

Regenerative Tourism

Germany's North Sea Tourism Agency in Lower Saxony won the regenerative category for the North Sea Passport, connecting visitors with the Wadden Sea's cultural landscape. Portugal's Oh! My Cod Food & Cultural Experiences took second for ethnographic food experiences across the Azorean islands of Pico, São Jorge and Faial. Riga Municipality in Latvia placed third for the Mazjumprava Cultural Quarter, a heritage-led regeneration project.

The awards, supported by ENAT, ECF, Europeana and the Creative Tourism Network, function as a platform for sharing best practice among destination management organizations. With gastronomy networks, cycling infrastructure and digital access passes dominating the podium, the 2026 results point European cultural tourism firmly toward regenerative models and smart, year-round demand management as the benchmark for next year's entrants.