Kranj selected as the 2023 European Destination of Excellence

The European Commission has announced the 2023 European Destination of Excellence for their pioneering work as a sustainable tourism destination

BRUSSELS, Nov. 10, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Kranj (Slovenia) has been selected as the winner of the 2023 European Destination of Excellence (EDEN)  competition, following a European Jury meeting in Brussels on 9 November 2022.

In total, 20 destinations competed, out of which 3 shortlisted destinations were invited to present their candidatures in front of the European Jury. Kranj impressed the European Jury not only with their remarkable achievements in sustainable tourism, but also with the exciting programme of activities they intend to implement during 2023. They also stood out for their capacity to act as a role model for other destinations.

The European Destinations of Excellence is an EU initiative, implemented by the European Commission. Its aim is to recognise and reward smaller destinations that have put in place successful strategies to boost sustainable tourism through green transition practices. The competition is founded upon the principle of promoting the development of sustainable tourism in destinations which bring value to the economy, the planet and people.

Kranj will be positioned as a tourism sustainability pioneer committed to the objectives of the European Green Deal and transition pathway, as laid out by the European Commission. Beyond this, the winner of the European Destinations of Excellence will be promoted as a role model for sustainable tourism practices in Europe and benefit from event support throughout the year, geared towards promoting Kranj and their best practices in sustainable tourism. The European Destinations of Excellence will be given a prominent role in shaping the future of sustainable tourism for the future of the European tourism industry and actively participate in making a large impact on an international stage.

For all the latest news visit the European Destinations of Excellence website.

Contact:

European Destinations of Excellence Secretariat:
Sandra Bumbar-Malchow  / Antigoni Avgeropoulou, info@edensecretariat.eu, +49 (0) 30 70 01 86 390

Notes to Editors:

1. Since 2007, the European Commission has supported EU Member States and other countries participating in the COSME programme to reward non-traditional, emerging sustainable tourism destinations in Europe through the 'European Destination of Excellence" (EDEN) award. This action aimed to foster sustainable tourism destination management models across Europe by selecting and promoting EDEN destinations. To date, 176 destinations from 27 different countries have received the award under different annual themes. 
2. In 2019 the "Study on EDEN evaluation" was carried out to assess the continued relevance, effectiveness, efficiency and impact of the EDEN initiative and the various actions implemented in its framework, as well as its coherence with other EU initiatives. Following the results and recommendations of the evaluation study, the European Commission relaunched the initiative, taking into account European Green Deal goals. In addition to the EU countries, it also covers non-EU countries participating in the COSME programme. The competition addresses smaller tourism destinations which can showcase their outstanding achievements in sustainability and inspire other tourism destinations in their green transition. 
3. The EDEN Award was implemented first as a pilot project and as a preparatory action initiated by the European Parliament and since 2011 has continued under the CIP/COSME programmes. 
4. The 2023 EDEN competition was open to submissions from 31 March 2022 to 1 June 2022. Terms and conditions are available at https://ec.europa.eu/growth/sectors/tourism/eden_en 
5. The current 2022 European Destination of Middelfart was selected at the end of 2021 and has since been acting as a role model for sustainable tourism in Europe. Find out more about the 2022 European Destination of Excellence Middelfart here and watch a video about the destination here.