World Tourism Film Awards honours top campaigns of 2024

The 36th edition of the World Tourism Film Awards that recently took place in Valencia, Spain, recognised 27 productions from 16 countries as World’s Best Tourism Films, as it brought together key players from the tourism and creative sectors to celebrate the year’s most groundbreaking and inspirational tourism campaigns.

The event underscored the transformative power of storytelling, honouring productions that elevated global tourism promotion to new heights.

These films, that participated in five categories – City, Region, and Country Promotion, Tourism Products, and Tourism Services – topped the CIFFT Rankings, which compile the world’s most awarded tourism videos, and highlight emerging trends in the industry.

Switzerland Tourism took centre stage with its campaign “The Ride of a Lifetime,” featuring tennis icon Roger Federer and comedian Trevor Noah.

The campaign claimed World’s Best Tourism Film in the Tourism Products category and also won the CIFFT Tourism Press Award, voted on by an international panel of travel journalists. Additionally, Switzerland secured first and fifth places in the Country Promotion category with two other promotional films.

In the Country Promotion category, Visit Sweden’s widely shared campaign, “Sweden (not Switzerland),” earned second place, while “Tourism in South Africa with Trevor Noah” by the Tourism Business Council of South Africa took third. Both campaigns showed the effectiveness of humor in boosting global tourism interest.

Representing Canada, Travel Alberta was awarded first place in Region Promotion and second in Tourism Products for its compelling showcase of Alberta’s natural beauty and diverse landscapes.

Portugal once again dominated the awards, emerging as the most recognised country for the second consecutive year, with eight productions among the World’s Best Tourism Films.

Other distinguished winners included Azerbaijan Airlines, Hamad International Airport, Slovenian Tourist Board, Wroclaw Tourism Organization, and the Singapore Tourism Board. Zell am See-Kaprun Tourismus, Kvarner Region Tourism Office, and Visit Omiš were also recognised for their innovative contributions to tourism marketing.

“This year’s World Tourism Film Awards have truly showcased the immense creativity within our industry,” said Alexander V Kammel, CIFFT Director. “The winning films illustrate the power of storytelling to inspire and influence audiences worldwide, helping to shape the future of tourism promotion.”

The World Tourism Film Awards, organised by the International Committee of Tourism Film Festivals (CIFFT) and supported by UN Tourism, are the pinnacle of the CIFFT Circuit.

With submissions now open for the 2025 competition, the stage is set for another year of exceptional creativity in tourism promotion, a statement said. - TradeArabia News Service