Dubrovnik Wins Prestigious Virtuoso Global Stewardship Award 2026

The Dubrovnik Tourist Board has received the prestigious Virtuoso Global Stewardship Award 2026 in the Destination category, in recognition of its continued commitment to sustainable tourism development and responsible destination management. The award was presented on 10 August at the Under One Sky event, held as part of Virtuoso Travel Week in Las Vegas.

This year’s Virtuoso Global Stewardship Awards received more than 300 nominations from across the global Virtuoso network. All submissions were evaluated by the Virtuoso Sustainability Guild, comprising more than 20 Virtuoso team members dedicated to sustainability, together with the Virtuoso Sustainability team. Based on the results of the expert evaluation, the Dubrovnik Tourist Board was selected as one of three finalists in the Destination category, alongside the Slovenian Tourist Board and CzechTourism. The final winner was chosen by a live audience vote during the Under One Sky event, where Dubrovnik was named the 2026 winner in the Destination category in front of more than 700 attendees.

The award was accepted on behalf of the Dubrovnik Tourist Board by Ivan Rudolf Gajić, Director of Sales and Marketing at Villa Dubrovnik, which, together with the Dubrovnik Tourist Board, is the only member of the prestigious Virtuoso network from the Dubrovnik area.

This year’s Dubrovnik Tourist Board submission focused on sustainable tourism, with particular emphasis on the Respect the City project and the initiatives through which Dubrovnik continues to advance its model of responsible destination management. As part of the final presentation, a short video showcased Dubrovnik’s key sustainability initiatives and achievements, after which the audience voted live to select Dubrovnik as the winner in the Destination category.

As of 2026, the Virtuoso Global Stewardship Awards place an even greater emphasis on responsible tourism, the preservation of cultural heritage and the development of local communities. Receiving this prestigious award represents another significant international recognition for Dubrovnik and confirms the city’s continued commitment to sustainable tourism and responsible destination management.