Timi\u0219oara, the city in the western Romania region of Banat and a holder of the European Capital of Culture title in 2023, won the grand prize and has been named the Destination of the Year 2026 at this year’s competition of the same, which aims to promote local tourism.<\/p>\n
This year\u2019s edition of the competition saw close to 450,000 votes, and the final list of winners was based on the public\u2019s choices, a jury evaluation, and sociological research, the organizers explained.<\/p>\n
The award handed to Timi\u0219oara acknowledges \u201cthe city\u2019s transformation in the last years and the way it consolidated its position as an urban destination relevant at the European level.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is an award that validates the city\u2019s work over the past few years. The year in which Timi\u0219oara held the title of European Capital of Culture marked the beginning of a steady increase in the city\u2019s visibility and attractiveness, both for Romanians and for foreign visitors. Based on the data we have gathered, we can see that the profile of those arriving in the city has changed radically, and the share of visitors coming for business purposes is now lower than that of leisure travelers, after 15\u201320 years of predominantly business tourism. We now have a healthy mix of Romanian and international visitors, who come mainly for the architectural heritage and the everyday rhythm of the city with the highest quality of life in Romania,\u201d Dominic Fritz, the mayor of Timi\u0219oara, said.<\/p>\n
Timi\u0219oara also took the top spot in the competition\u2019s Inspiring Cities<\/em> section, where it was followed by Cluj-Napoca and Sighi\u0219oara.<\/p>\n In the category dedicated to Spa Resorts<\/em>, Techirghiol, in Constan\u021ba county, came out first. It was followed by Borsec, in Harghita, and C\u0103lim\u0103ne\u0219ti-C\u0103ciulata, in V\u00e2lcea, and Sl\u0103nic Moldova, in Bac\u0103u.<\/p>\n The Tourist Resorts<\/em> category, which aims to show that local tourism has plenty of spots that can offer complete experiences year-round, Vatra Dornei, in Suceava county, was the first placed. It was followed by B\u0103ile Felix, in Bihor, and R\u00e2\u0219nov, in Bra\u0219ov.<\/p>\n Bran – Moieciu – Fundata and Colinele Transilvaniei shared the first spot in the Enchanted Lands<\/em> category, which highlights \u201ctourist destinations with a strong identity, where nature, traditions, and local heritage come together to create an authentically Romanian experience.\u201d The second and third places were occupied by \u021ainutul Rar\u0103ului and Clisura Dun\u0103rii.<\/p>\n The Fairytale Villages<\/em> category, which recognizes \u201ccommunities that keep traditions alive and turn authenticity into a real tourism advantage,\u201d awarded the top spot to B\u00e2rsana, in Maramure\u0219. Cioc\u0103ne\u0219ti and Viscri shared the second place, while Saschiz took the third spot.<\/p>\n Magic Park R\u00e2\u0219nov won first place in the Play and Adrenaline<\/em> category, which looks at experiences for families, children, and fans of adventure. Complex Agrement Arini\u0219 and Wonderland Resort Cluj-Napoca took the second and third places in this section.<\/p>\n The Alba Iulia Fortress was the winner in the Sanctuaries of History<\/em> category, which looks at the country\u2019s historic and cultural heritage. The Suceava Fortress and Sighi\u0219oara Citadel took the second and third places.<\/p>\n At the same time, the Brukenthal Museum in Sibiu was the winner in the Land of Knowledge<\/em> category, dedicated to museums, education centers, and other learning venues. The Constan\u021ba Dolphinarium, Planetarium, and Natural Micro-Reserve won the second spot, while the Grigore Antipa Museum in Bucharest was the third placed.<\/p>\n Salina Turda took the first place in the Natural Treasures<\/em> category, followed by Cheile Nerei, in Cara\u0219-Severin\u00a0county, and Vulcanii Noroio\u0219i (Mud Volcanoes), in Buz\u0103u county.<\/p>\n The Urban Hu<\/em>bs category, which looked at historic squares and public venues that shape the identities of cities, awarded the top spot to Sibiu\u2019s Grad Square. Bra\u0219ov\u2019s Council Square came in second, while Constan\u021ba\u2019s Casino Promenade & Tomis Tourist Port took third place.<\/p>\n The Constan\u021ba Casino was the winner in the Landmarks<\/em> category, where the Constantin Br\u00e2ncu\u0219i Ensemble in T\u00e2rgu Jiu took the second spot, and the Black Church of Bra\u0219ov the third.<\/p>\n Oradea took the top spot for Best Promotion<\/em>, a category where Mamaia and Timi\u0219oara shared the second place, and the Land of the Bison placed third.<\/p>\n Among the special awards handed out at this edition, Orheiul Vechi was named Destination of the Year in the Republic of Moldova, while Jurilovca, in Tulcea county, received the title of Best New Entry.<\/p>\n (Photo:\u00a0Conceptw<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0Dreamstime.com<\/a>)<\/em><\/p>\n simona@romania-insider.com<\/em><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Timi\u0219oara, the city in the western Romania region of Banat and a holder of the European Capital of Culture title in 2023, won the grand prize and has been named the Destination of the Year 2026 at this year’s competition of the same, which aims to promote local tourism. This year\u2019s edition of the competition […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-10180","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ofero.news\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10180","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ofero.news\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ofero.news\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ofero.news\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=10180"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/ofero.news\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10180\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ofero.news\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=10180"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ofero.news\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=10180"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ofero.news\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=10180"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}