Romania’s Harghita County included in world’s top 100 sustainable tourism stories

The tourism development program in Harghita County, central Romania, built around gastronomic heritage, local products, and living community traditions, has been included in Green Destinations’ 2026 TOP 100 Stories selection.

The certificate associated with the award was accepted by Júlia Nagy, managing director of Innotime Hungary Ltd., at the Green Destinations international conference in Kranj, Slovenia, at the request of the Harghita Community Development Association (Visit Harghita).

The story “Tasting Szekler Heritage: How Harghita County Turns Living Traditions into Responsible Tourism” was included in the Culture & Heritage category.

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

The submission showcased Harghita County’s efforts to preserve its heritage through a range of concrete programs and results. Particular emphasis was placed on the Szekler Product trademark system, established by the Harghita County Council in 2009 to support market access, visibility and the preservation of the value of traditional local food and handicraft products. According to data published in 2024, the trademark had been awarded to approximately 1,500 products from 197 producers.

Another defining element of the story was the use of gastronomic traditions in tourism.

The good practice presented highlighted how these values can be transformed into tourism experiences while preserving their authenticity. One of the project’s key messages was that preserving cultural heritage and developing tourism are not conflicting goals, but can reinforce one another.

However, the submission was not limited to gastronomy. It also featured The Day of the Thousand Szekler Girls, one of the most important community celebrations of Szekler folk costume, folk music, and traditional dance. According to press reports, more than 5,000 people wore traditional folk costumes at the 2025 event. The celebration demonstrates that traditions are not simply memories of the past; they can still bring together people across generations.

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

Green Destinations TOP 100 Stories is one of the best-known international good-practice competitions in sustainable tourism and has been organized since 2014. It aims to showcase stories that offer practical solutions to tourism’s environmental, social, and cultural challenges.