Cultural tourism is the fastest growing sector of European tourism and can contribute both to the sustainability and competitiveness of tourism in the European Union and beyond and to the sustainable future of heritage sites and local communities.

Cultural tourism products and services are important factors for sustainable development, contributing to the protection and promotion of cultural heritage, the extension of the tourism period as well as increasing heritage awareness of tourists and host communities, and regional GDP and its multiplier effects.

These Awards enhance the visibility of European cultural tourism destinations, create a Europe-wide platform for sharing experience and knowledge and promotes networking between destinations.

The Award Contest is open to tourist destinations across Europe, for showcasing results and outputs regarding cultural tourism.

The Award Contest is based on an existing contest which has been organised since 2014 by ECTN around annual themes for the benefit of destinations, communities, businesses, citizens and visitors.

This special edition of the Awards for Destination of Sustainable Cultural Tourism in Europe is organised by ECTN in partnership with Europa Nostra and the European Travel Commission, supported by NECSTouR, as a contribution to the European Year of Cultural Heritage in 2018.

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