Lasi, Romania,
On a summer afternoon filled with history, culture and international attention, Iași added a prestigious distinction to its growing tourism profile: the **“Golden Apple” Trophy**, awarded by the International Federation of Travel Journalists and Writers (FIJET).
The award was presented Saturday, June 20, 2026, in the Voivode (Rulers) Hall of the Palace of Culture, one of Iași’s most recognizable landmarks. The ceremony brought together local authorities, academics, representatives of religious institutions and members of the HoReCa industry, along with about 40 tourism journalists. Nearly half had traveled from countries across Europe and North Africa.
For Iași, the Golden Apple was more than an international tourism award. It recognized the city’s cultural identity, historic legacy, and efforts to position itself as a destination capable of welcoming a new generation of travelers.
The decision to award the trophy was made during the FIJET Congress in Fes, Morocco, in November 2025. Iași’s candidacy was submitted and supported by the Tourism Press Club – FIJET Romania, based on a project developed by Iași City Hall in cooperation with the Destination Management Organization “Iași County.”
At the ceremony, Mayor Mihai Chirica described the award as the product of a collective effort.
“Iași is a city that has recently attracted attention, a gateway to the United Europe … and a historical, touristic and cultural center that has managed to demonstrate these valences through work,” Chirica said.
He credited the city’s residents, institutions and tourism community for helping Iași earn international recognition.
“This trophy … is the fruit of the work of every resident in Iași,” he said. “It does not belong only to the Iași City Hall; it is simply the collective effort of each of us.”
Chirica also urged the local tourism and hospitality industries to treat the award not as an achievement to celebrate and forget, but as a starting point for a more ambitious tourism strategy.
He called for greater cooperation among local institutions and tourism professionals and encouraged the city to turn tourism into a stronger and more recognizable brand.
A city with a story to tell
Petru Frăsilă, vice president of the Tourism Press Club – FIJET Romania, who proposed that Iași pursue the Golden Apple, said the city did not need to manufacture a story for international visitors.
It already had one.
“I congratulate the mayor, not because we lobbied, but because we had something … to brag about when we submitted our candidacy,” Frăsilă said.
He pointed to Iași’s identity as a cultural and university center, as well as its importance in medicine, infrastructure and international connectivity.
For Frăsilă, the award was ultimately a reflection of the city itself.
“I feel important because I live in a special city,” he said.
The international journalists gathered in Iași were there to see that story firsthand.
Tourism with a responsibility
FIJET President Tijani Haddad placed the Golden Apple within the broader philosophy of the organization, which was founded to connect travel journalists and writers from around the world and promote destinations through journalism.
Haddad recalled the long tradition of travel writing, in which explorers and writers documented new places and introduced their readers to unfamiliar cultures and civilizations.
But modern tourism, he said, must go beyond simply attracting visitors.
FIJET promotes **sustainable tourism**, with the protection of cultural and natural heritage at its center.
“We have seen many vestiges in your city left over from past generations,” Haddad said. “You have inherited them and you take care of them so that they are in a better condition.”
For Iași, this emphasis on preservation is particularly significant. The city’s identity is closely intertwined with its historic architecture, religious landmarks, cultural institutions and centuries-old traditions.
Haddad said FIJET’s recognition was intended to encourage the city to continue protecting that heritage while developing tourism responsibly.
“That’s why FIJET has decided to award you the ‘Golden Apple’ trophy, because you excel in protecting heritage,” he said.
His message gave the ceremony a significance beyond tourism promotion. A destination’s heritage, he suggested, is not simply an attraction to be marketed—it is an inheritance that must be protected.
Adding Iași to a distinguished list
Stefan Baciu, president of the Tourism Press Club – FIJET Romania, described the Golden Apple as both a reward and a challenge.
“This Golden Apple is a reward, but at the same time, it’s also an encouragement to the local authorities to continue what they started to do,” Baciu said.
Before the ceremony, the visiting journalists took part in a walking tour of Iași, exploring several of the city’s major attractions. Their firsthand experience was an important part of the award’s spirit: travel journalists are not simply observers but storytellers who carry the character of destinations to audiences around the world.
Baciu also highlighted an FIJET project documenting destinations that have received the Golden Apple since the award was established in 1971.
Together with Bulgarian journalist Plamen Starev, he helped initiate a book featuring the award-winning destinations. The previous edition covers recipients through 2023, with Romania’s Timișoara among the destinations included.
Iași will be added to the next edition.
The beginning of a new chapter
The Golden Apple ceremony was followed by visits to tourism and cultural sites across Iași County and a tourism conference at the Palas Complex, where members of the FIJET delegation delivered presentations and exchanged ideas with local tourism professionals.
The gathering underscored Iași’s dual identity: a city deeply rooted in history while increasingly looking toward its future as an international destination.
For the local authorities, the award brings valuable global visibility. For the tourism industry, it offers an opportunity to attract new visitors and strengthen Iași’s reputation beyond Romania.
But perhaps the most important message of the day was that the Golden Apple is not a conclusion.
It is an invitation to continue.
Iași now joins a distinguished gallery of destinations recognized by FIJET for their tourism and heritage values. The real measure of the award, however, will be what happens after the applause fades—how successfully the city preserves its past, strengthens its tourism infrastructure and tells its story to the world.
The trophy may sit in the Palace of Culture, but its promise belongs to the entire city.
