Harghita County has received another prestigious international recognition: its tourism development programme, built around gastronomic heritage, local products and living community traditions, has been included in the Green Destinations 2026 TOP 100 Stories selection. The recognition is part of an international initiative showcasing the world’s best sustainable tourism practices. The certificate associated with the award was received by Júlia Nagy, Managing Director of Innotime Hungary Kft., on behalf of the Harghita Community Development Association (Visit Harghita), at the Green Destinations international conference in Kranj, Slovenia.

When Traditions Become a Tourism Asset

Harghita County was included in the international TOP 100 selection with its story entitled “Tasting Szekler Heritage: How Harghita County Turns Living Traditions into Responsible Tourism”, in the Culture & Heritage category.

The central idea of the application is that Szekler gastronomy, local products, traditional costumes, handicrafts and community celebrations are not merely tourist attractions, but living cultural values that shape everyday life in the region.

The good practice presented focuses on how these values can be transformed into tourism experiences while preserving their authenticity, strengthening the identity of local communities and ensuring that the economic benefits generated by tourism also reach local producers, craftspeople and businesses. One of the project’s key messages is that preserving cultural heritage and developing tourism are not conflicting objectives: through appropriate cooperation, they can mutually reinforce one another.

The Szekler Product Label, Gastronomy and Thousands of Celebrants Dressed in Traditional Costumes

The application showcased Harghita County’s efforts to preserve its heritage through numerous concrete programmes and achievements. A prominent role was given to the Szekler Product certification scheme, established by the Harghita County Council in 2009, which supports the market access, visibility and preservation of the value of traditional local food and handicraft products. According to data published in 2024, approximately 1,500 products from 197 producers had already received the certification.

Another key element of the story is the use of gastronomic traditions in tourism. Local ingredients, family recipes, traditional cooking techniques and cooperation among producers offer experiences that go beyond food itself: they provide insight into the region’s history, land use and community life. The international significance of this gastronomic heritage is further reinforced by the fact that Harghita County will hold the title of European Region of Gastronomy in 2027, awarded by the international professional organisation IGCAT.

However, the application was not limited to gastronomy. It also presented the Day of a Thousand Szekler Girls, one of the most significant community celebrations of Szekler traditional costumes, folk music and folk dance. According to press reports, more than 5,000 people wore traditional costumes at the 2025 event. The celebration is a clear example of how traditions are not merely memories of the past, but can still bring together several generations today.

The programme also highlighted the role of the Visit Harghita digital tourism platform, which makes the county’s gastronomic, cultural and natural attractions accessible in several languages and helps visitors discover smaller settlements, local service providers and community events.

What Does Being Included in the Green Destinations TOP 100 Mean?

The Green Destinations TOP 100 Stories is one of the best-known international competitions recognising good practices in sustainable tourism, organised since 2014. Its aim is not simply to select the most popular tourist destinations, but to showcase stories that offer genuine solutions to the environmental, social and cultural challenges facing tourism.

During the selection process, experts assess the problem addressed by each initiative, the concrete measures implemented, the involvement of local communities, and the results and long-term impacts achieved. Being included in the TOP 100 is therefore more than a tourism marketing recognition. It brings international visibility, professional credibility and the opportunity for the presented practice to become a model that other destinations can follow.

The selected stories may also be featured on international communication platforms and gain the opportunity to compete for further recognition through the Green Destinations Story Awards.

It is important to distinguish that inclusion in the TOP 100 recognises a specific good practice in sustainable tourism; it does not constitute certification of the destination’s overall sustainability performance.

Harghita County is gaining an increasingly stronger position on the International Sustainable Tourism Map

Inclusion in the TOP 100 marks another milestone in a longer process of professional development. In September 2026, Harghita County obtained the Green Destinations Silver Award, becoming the first region in Romania to receive this recognition. During the international sustainability audit, the county achieved its highest score in the field of culture and traditions, receiving a rating of 9.2 points. The TOP 100 application was therefore built on a strength that had already been recognised internationally: the preservation of cultural heritage, the role of local communities and the responsible tourism experiences that can be developed around these values.

The application was prepared by Innotime Hungary Kft. on behalf of the Harghita Community Development Association (Visit Harghita). The work was based on research findings, development strategies, local good practices and the experience of tourism stakeholders gathered during the county’s preparation for sustainable tourism.

The certificate associated with the international recognition was received at the Green Destinations Global Conference, held in the Kranj region of Slovenia between 27 and 29 October 2026, by Júlia Nagy, Managing Director of Innotime Hungary Kft. and professional developer of the TOP 100 application, at the invitation of Visit Harghita.

The most important lesson from Harghita County’s story is that the future of traditions is ensured not merely by preserving them, but by creating the conditions for them to continue to thrive. When the work of a local producer, a recipe passed down through generations or a community celebration gains new meaning through tourism, the result can be not only a more attractive destination, but also a stronger local community.

The TOP 100 recognition sends a clear message: local heritage is not only valuable to Harghita County, but also offers an example worth following for sustainable tourism worldwide.