The 21st Golden Pen Awards ceremony was held yesterday in the beautiful surroundings of the Kozlović Winery in Istria. The prestigious awards are traditionally organized by the Croatian National Tourist Board, and on this occasion in partnership with the Istrian County Tourist Board, alongside Novigrad-Cittanova Tourist Board. The awards make a tribute to foreign editors, journalists, travel bloggers and influencers for the best publications about Croatia as a tourist destination in the past year. The grand awards ceremony gathered 28 foreign media representatives from 15 countries around the world.
"I am extremely proud that the diverse Croatian tourist offering, the hospitality of our people, and the work and effort of the entire tourism sector have contributed to maintaining our country's excellent position on the world's tourist map. Our qualities have also been recognized by the foreign media. Their positive media coverage about the beauties and values of Croatia reach audiences around the world. They are a very important driver of the promotion of Croatian tourism, which we continue to strive to develop in the direction of sustainability. This is also reflected in Istria, a favourite tourist region and this year's host of the Golden Pen, which is one of the leaders of the green transition in our country, as well as year-round business," said Kristjan Staničić, congratulating all the awarded participants and adding that he believes that the work of the foreign media will further contribute to Croatia's status as one of the most desirable destinations in the Mediterranean.
In addition to Director Staničić and colleagues from the Croatian Tourist Board's representative offices, the award ceremony was also attended by Monika Udovičić, State Secretary at the Ministry of Tourism and Sports, Boris Miletić, Istrian County Prefect, Anteo Milos, Mayor of the City of Novigrad-Cittanova, Denis Ivošević, Director of the Istrian County Tourist Board, Vesna Ferenac, Director of the Novigrad Tourist Board, as well as numerous guests from the Croatian tourism sector.
"It is a great pleasure for me to witness another edition of the Golden Pen award, which for many years has been recognized and rewarded the exceptional contribution of foreign journalists and influencers in the promotion of Croatian tourism on a global level. Their stories, photographs and posts about Croatia reach millions of people around the world, strengthening the image of our country as an authentic, hospitable and diverse destination. Owing to the synergy of systematic efforts of all people in tourism, media visibility and robust promotion, Croatia continues to maintain destination attractiveness in the international market. Istria, this year's host and the region strongly aligned with the principles of sustainability and year-round tourism quality, further adds value to this award and demonstrated the direction we want to follow - towards responsible, sustainable and innovative development of tourism," said State Secretary Udovičić.
All foreign journalists present were awarded with special accolades, while the Grand Prix, the most significant Golden Pen award, was awarded in six categories, namely for the best print media report, the best online media report, the best radio report, the best television report, the best travel blog and the best social media post.
Journalist Vivian Vassos from Canada won the Grand Prix for the best print media report, thanks to her article in which she invites Canadians to take an amazing journey across the Adriatic, which, in addition to the wonderful sailing experience, also includes exploring the rich historical and cultural heritage of Dubrovnik and Split.
In the category of the best online article, the Grand Prix went to Andrew Eames from Great Britain, whose article about the beautiful sandy beaches of our coast reached an impressive 10 million readers in The Times. The British author particularly emphasized the importance of untouched nature, crystal clear sea and pleasant surroundings, conveying a wonderful experience of the Croatian coast to the numerous readership.
“Just 2 hours from Paris: Croatia!” is the title of the second episode of the radio show “Le monde à découvrir!”, for which French journalist Christophe Jicquel received the Grand Prix for the best radio report. By presenting the beautiful landscapes, rich history and unique culture of our country, Jicquel successfully aroused the curiosity of French listeners to discover Croatia.
The Grand Prix for the best television report this year goes to Poland. Journalists Piotr Maślak and Piotr Bartosz Gierzyński, together with cameraman Jakub Czyżewski, produced the show “Tańcząca ze światem” – Chorwacja, which translates as: Dancing with the World – Croatia, and in which they explored Dubrovnik, Split, Konavle, Sinj and other places, showcasing gastronomy and nature.
Adriana Halousková and Matěj Halouska from the Czech Republic won the Grand Prix for best travel blog. In the text entitled "12 Best Places to Go in Croatia You Will Never Forget", they describe in detail the advantages of Croatian cities and towns, including Vis and Zagreb.
Hungarian influencer Luna Joanna Michelle was awarded the Grand Prix for the best post on social networks. Her lively storytelling about the charms of sailing in Croatia through Instagram and TikTok brought the beauty of navigating our sea closer to users.
Let's add that as part of this year's Golden Pens program, the Croatian National Tourist Board and its partners also organized a three-day study trip. Foreign journalists, bloggers and influencers had the opportunity, among other things, to visit the picturesque Grožnjan, tour Novigrad, tour the Cattunar winery, enjoy tasting Istrian olive oil, learn about the long tradition of truffle farming in central Istria thanks to the small family business Karlić Tartufi and, ultimately, create wonderful memories from the gala dinner at the Kozlović Winery.
