A new important milestone on the path towards sustainable tourism: Harghita County has been awarded the recognised Green Destinations Silver Award, becoming the first region in Romania to be included on the international Green Destinations map.

The prestigious recognition is the result of a comprehensive sustainability audit, during which Green Destinations experts assessed, among other aspects, destination management, the protection of cultural heritage, nature and landscape conservation, the well-being of local communities, as well as the sustainability efforts of tourism businesses.

During the audit, Harghita County achieved an average score of 7.5 points across the six areas assessed, meeting the requirements for the Silver Award level. The highest score, 9.2, was achieved in the area of culture and traditions. The expert assessment highlighted the strong commitment to preserving tangible and intangible cultural heritage, programmes supporting local crafts and traditions, as well as the protection and promotion of gastronomic heritage. The audit also specifically praised the role of traditional culture in tourism. The Myrmidone (Danube Clouded Yellow butterfly) certification, which aims to identify and recognise traditional dishes and the hospitality establishments that prepare them, was also highlighted as an important example in the assessment. According to the experts, preserving and bringing local heritage to life is one of Harghita County’s greatest strengths.
Another outstanding result was achieved in the area of social well-being, where the county scored 8.6 points. The assessment positively highlighted, among other things, respect for the rights of the population, measures aimed at improving accessibility, as well as recent steps to involve local communities and monitor their satisfaction.
Harghita County achieved a score of 7.1 points in each of the areas of destination management, nature and landscape, and business and communication. The experts highlighted the strategic role of the Harghita Community Development Association (Visit Harghita), the commitment to sustainable tourism, as well as initiatives supporting the sustainability of tourism businesses.
Regarding the protection of nature and landscape, the audit specifically mentions the site-specific management of Lake Saint Anne and the Mohoș Peat Bog, the information and behavioural guidelines provided to visitors, as well as initiatives involving schools and local organisations that contribute to forest conservation and tree planting.

Overall, Green Destinations experts positively assessed Harghita County’s sustainability efforts and highlighted that, over the past years, the destination has consistently worked to make sustainability a central element of tourism development. According to the audit, the commitment to sustainable tourism is evident both among destination staff and tourism stakeholders.

The Green Destinations Award is an internationally recognised assessment in the field of sustainable destination management. The programme evaluates the sustainability performance of destinations based on the Green Destinations Standard and connects recognised destinations to an international network where participants can share their experiences and best practices. By receiving the Silver Award, Harghita County will be featured on Green Destinations’ international platforms, including the organisation’s destination collection. The recognition also provides an opportunity for Harghita County’s sustainability achievements to gain greater visibility among an international tourism audience.

“Being the first county in Romania to receive this international recognition demonstrates that we are at the forefront of sustainable tourism. In recent years, we have placed an emphasis on green and slow tourism. It is particularly noteworthy that the expert group awarded the highest score to the area of culture and traditions, with 9.2 out of a maximum of 10 points. This shows that in Harghita County, the past does not hold us back, but can also represent a competitive advantage. We are very pleased with this new international recognition and proud of the tourism stakeholders, university and business partners with whom we have been able to work. I congratulate the Visit Harghita team, as our efforts have contributed to putting Harghita County in the spotlight as the first county in the country to receive this recognition. I hope this will also provide further momentum for our preparations for the 2027 gastronomic year,” said Bíró Barna-Botond, President of the Harghita County Council.

The certification is a particularly important milestone ahead of a year in which Harghita County will hold the title of European Region of Gastronomy. The Green Destinations recognition also confirms and reinforces the work carried out over the past years by Visit Harghita and the county’s tourism stakeholders. The international recognition of sustainability and local gastronomic heritage represents complementary values that provide a common foundation for further increasing Harghita County’s visibility, attractiveness and competitiveness on the domestic and international tourism market.

For Harghita County, being a Green Destination is not merely a title, but a long-term commitment: to develop tourism while preserving everything that makes the region unique.