This international event brings together tourism professionals, creative agencies, audiovisual production companies, media outlets and institutional representatives from dozens of countries, including Spain, Colombia, Switzerland, Sweden, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Austria, Poland, the United Kingdom, Germany, Greece and Morocco, among others. It represents a unique opportunity to showcase the best audiovisual productions in the global tourism sector.
Over the two days of the festival, more than 4,000 promotional videos submitted to the CIFFT annual circuit — from nearly 50 countries — will compete in five main categories: Promotion of Cities, Regions and Countries; Tourism Products; Tourism Services; as well as a series of special awards. Among these, the new GreenWorking Awards stands out, created in collaboration with the Spanish agency Normmal and with the participation of the World Tourism Organization (UN Tourism), which will honour audiovisual productions aligned with the principles of responsible and sustainable tourism.
For the local authorities, hosting the World Tourism Film Awards is of great cultural, economic and strategic significance. As the Mayor of Guimarães has stressed, this event is an opportunity to place the city and the entire northern region of Portugal firmly on the international map, strengthening their position as leading destinations for cultural, heritage and environmental tourism.
The regional entity Turismo do Porto e Norte de Portugal also underlines that the choice of Guimarães to host this festival demonstrates the region’s strong capacity to attract major international events, highlighting its rich heritage, natural diversity and commitment to innovation.
In addition to the awards ceremony, the programme over the coming days will feature networking sessions, expert panels and cultural experiences. Production companies, travel agencies, tourism marketing executives, public institutions and international media are expected to attend, with the aim of promoting professional and creative exchange among the key stakeholders involved in the communication and promotion of tourist destinations.
The director of CIFFT has emphasised that the 2025 edition crowns a year dedicated to excellence in audiovisual communication for tourism. The choice of Guimarães reinforces the sector’s commitment to creativity, sustainability and the dissemination of best practices, consolidating the role of audiovisual work as a strategic tool for promoting destinations, products and tourism services.
With today’s opening, Guimarães becomes a global meeting point for the tourism, creativity and communication industries. This event will not only highlight the best tourism films in the world, but will also help position Portugal — and particularly the North of the country — as a benchmark in innovation, heritage and sustainable tourism. Through this festival, travellers, professionals and authorities come together to celebrate a modern vision of tourism: responsible, inclusive, creative and deeply connected to the authenticity of destinations.
