Timisoara was designated 'Destination of the Year 2026' in Romania during a gala hosted on Thursday evening at the Constanta Casino, where the country's most appreciated cities, spa resorts, authentic villages and natural attractions were awarded.

'Destination of the Year 2026, now in its sixth edition, is a concept aimed at inspiring Romanians to discover Romania. It is a concept Romanians have embraced. The 450,000 votes cast by Romanians in 2026 could never have been achieved through any marketing campaign alone, it is simply due to the fact that Romanians love their country. Truly, here in this superb venue, the Constanta Casino, I now feel that this competition has become something like the Oscars of Romanian destinations. There are 11 categories, there are special awards and there are many destinations eager to win, and this competition between them makes these awards very difficult to obtain,' founder of the 'Destination of the Year' project Mihai Barsan told the 'Destination of the Year 2026' Gala.


He said Romanians continue to travel extensively, but domestic tourism still has untapped potential, with many destinations in the country remaining unknown to a large share of tourists.

'Romanians travel a great deal, although they travelled less in 2025 compared with 2024 because of the economic crisis and constraints, but they still travel a lot both within Romania and abroad, which is a very good thing because travelling broadens your horizons. Wherever you go, you gain a different understanding of the local community and perhaps a special respect for people in another country. Even so, Romanians do not travel within Romania as much as they could. They visit a few destinations, but there are many places in Romania that most Romanians have never seen. For example, someone from Bucovina may have visited the Black Sea coast, but most likely has never been to Timisoara or even Sibiu,' Mihai Barsan told AGERPRES.


He explained that the project aims to bring these destinations closer to Romanians and inspire them to spend their holidays in Romania.

'Our goal has been to bring these destinations closer, to inspire Romanians to enjoy more beautiful and perhaps less expensive holidays by visiting Romania and including Romanian destinations in their plans. We try to gather nominations from as many sources as possible: all county councils, the entire jury and even ordinary people can go online and nominate destinations. There were hundreds of nominations and among the finalists we selected the winners through a public vote, which carried significant weight. This shows, on the one hand, that Romanians are interested and, on the other hand, that the participating destinations have very motivated people eager to attract tourists,' Mihai Barsan explained.

Asked whether 2026 could bring increased interest among Romanians in domestic holidays amid international tensions and disruptions to air traffic caused by the conflict in Iran, he encouraged Romanians to choose local destinations, saying this is a good opportunity to discover more of Romania's tourism potential.


'Instead of Dubai, let us go to Sinaia and why not to Mamaia. I believe these are moments when we need to remember Romania and dare more to travel within Romania. We will be pleasantly surprised,' added the founder of the 'Destination of the Year' project.

Felix Tataru, a marketing and branding expert and promoter of the project, also encouraged Romanians to discover more local destinations and aim to spend at least one holiday each year in Romania.

'I feel emotional being among all of you, the people promoting the very best Romania has to offer. Someone asked me in the hallway, 'Why are you doing this?' and the answer came straight from the heart: what could be more beautiful than promoting, through this competition and with your help, everything Romania has that is most beautiful? That is why we also have a message you will hear again: I choose Romania! And this symbol is no coincidence. We love beautiful places, many of which we see abroad, and we learn to improve our tourism standards from them, but consciously, we should all aim to spend at least one holiday a year in Romania,' Tataru said at the 'Destination of the Year 2026' Gala.

During the event, first, second and third prizes were awarded in each competition category, along with a series of special awards dedicated to promoting and developing Romanian tourism.

Timisoara became 'Destination of the Year 2026,' with the city on the Bega River also taking first place in the 'Cities that Inspire' category and second place for tourism promotion campaigns.

The title of 'Destination of the Year' in the Republic of Moldova went to the Orheiul Vechi Cultural-Natural Reserve.

The special 'Best New Entry' award was won by Jurilovca. In the 'Fun and Adrenaline' category, Magic Park Rasnov in Brasov County took first place, while the Brukenthal National Museum was named winner in the 'Realm of Knowledge' category.

Alba Iulia Citadel won the 'Sanctuaries of History' category and Turda Salt Mine was named winner in 'Natural Treasures'. The Constanta Casino received the award in the 'Landmarks' category and Sibiu's Piata Mare won in the 'Urban Centres' category.

The special Travelminit award for hotels went to WERK Hotel & Spa in Hunedoara, while Oradea received the distinction for best tourism promotion.

In the 'Storybook Villages' category, Barsana was awarded first prize and Techirghiol won in the 'Spa Resorts' category. Mamaia received a special award and Vatra Dornei triumphed in the 'Tourist Resorts' category.

The distinction for 'Enchanted Lands' went to the Fundata - Moieciu - Bran area and the Hills of Transylvania, while Timisoara was also a winner in the 'Cities that Inspire' category. Special awards were also presented to Suceava and Constanta counties. AGERPRES (RO - writing by: Mariana Nica; EN - writing by: Adina Panaitescu)

Photo: MARIANA NICA/AGERPRES