EDEN (European Destinations of Excellence) is a project that promotes sustainable tourism management models in the European Union and works as a network for exchanges of good practices between different regions of Europe. It has the support of the European Commission, who launched the initiative in 2006.
The project is based on national competitions during which a tourist "destination of excellence" is chosen for each participating country. This careful selection of destinations allows us to highlight the values, diversity and common characteristics of European tourist destinations, one of the main objectives of the EDEN project. It is developed around a different theme each year, which is chosen by the Commission together with the corresponding national tourism institutions.
Since 2012, the initiative has been biannual, interspersing standard and variable-themed editions with reflection and recognition campaigns that reinforce it.
This initiative also contributes to strengthening the visibility of new or emerging European destinations, encourages networking between award-winning destinations and has inspired the creation of a platform to share best practices in Europe.
In 2019, the winner of this European award was the Ambroz Valley, thus recognizing the excellence of this valley as a very special place to improve health and well-being.
