The Romanian city designated “Destination of the Year 2026” and leader in urban tourism: surprise hierarchy in the ranking
A city from Romania was designated “Destination of the Year 2026” at the national gala organized at the Casino in Constanța, also winning first place in the “Cities that inspire” category. The distinction comes following the public vote and the decision of an expert jury, in a competition that gathered approximately 450,000 votes.
The city of Timisoara, signed “Destination of the Year 2026” PHOTO: FB/Dominic Fritz
Timișoara was designated “Destination of the Year 2026 in Romania”, during the national gala organized on Thursday evening, May 14, at the Casino in Constanța. The city on the Bega also won first place in the “Inspiring Cities” category, thus confirming its status as a leader in urban tourism in Romania.
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Timisoara, the destination of the year PHOTO Shutterstock
The profile of tourists has changed
The decision was made by an expert jury, supplemented by the public vote, in a competition that gathered approximately 450,000 votes. The distinction comes after the year in which Timișoara was the European Capital of Culture, a moment considered decisive for increasing the international visibility of the city.
Mayor Dominic Fritz said that these results confirm the evolution of recent years and the change in the tourist profile of the city.
“Timișoara was designated on Thursday evening as the Destination of the Year 2026 in Romania. In addition, it won first place in the category «Cities that inspire» and second place for promotional campaigns. The decision was made by a specialist jury, doubled by people's votes. I thank them. These are awards that validate the city's work in recent years. The Year of the European Cultural Capital was the start of a constant increase in visibility and interest in Timișoara, both for Romanians and foreigners”. Dominic Fritz reported. He also stated that the share of leisure tourists has increased significantly in recent years.
“The profile of those arriving in the city has changed: the share of those who come for business is lower than that of visitors in their free time“, the mayor also said.
Official data shows that in 2025 local tourism continued to grow, with a monthly average of arrivals increasing by around 5% compared to 2024, while nationally there was a decrease of around 2%. The trend is considered one of consolidation, in contrast to the general evolution in the country.
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Cluj-Napoca and Sighisoara, in the top
The “Destination of the Year 2026” Gala included several categories and winners from across the country. to “Cities that inspire”the ranking was completed by Cluj-Napoca and Sighisoara, and in other sections spa, cultural, natural and historical tourism destinations were awarded.
Major winners include:
Techirghiol at spa resorts
Dorna's hearth at tourist resorts
Barsana at “Storytelling Villages”
The Great Square in Sibiu to “Urban cores”
Alba Iulia Fortress TO “Sanctuaries of history”
Salina Turda to “Natural Treasures”.
The casino in Constanța was named the winner in the “Landmarks” category
Oradea won first place in “Best promotion”.
The Minister of Economy, Irineu Darău, present at the event, emphasized the extent of public participation and the impact of domestic tourism. The official emphasized that Romania has many destinations that are worth discovering and that Romanian tourism must be promoted more strongly, through such competitions that increase the visibility and interest of the public.
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“I'm glad to see that this competition grows from year to year and that it succeeds in highlighting more and more valuable places in Romania. The approximately 450,000 votes from the public show that there is a real interest in Romanian tourism and in destinations built and promoted with seriousness and vision. In a complicated time for many local businesses, when we choose to travel through Romania we are, in fact, choosing to support Romanian entrepreneurs, local communities and people who invest in the development of these places. Congratulations to all the finalists and organizers for what they have built around this project! Romania has a lot of places that deserve to be discovered better – including by us, the Romanians”he sent on Facebook.
