November 8, 2024, 6:35 am | Read time: 6 minutes
Prominent guests from the travel and tourism industry, as well as many beaming winners—that was the TRAVELBOOK Award 2024 in Berlin, Germany’s most inspiring award ceremony in the tourism industry.
“And the winner is ….” was the announcement of the night once again at the TRAVELBOOK Award. It took place for the third time – once again at the Axel Springer Tower in Berlin.
As part of the dinner evening with embassy representatives and prominent guests from the tourism industry, a jury of eight experts selected the best trending travel destinations in the DACH region, among other things. The evening’s festivities were once again led by charismatic TV presenter Christian Wackert-Brungs (Sat.1).
Exciting trend destinations and an extraordinary globetrotter
TRAVELBOOK celebrated the winners and nominees in a total of five categories. The spotlight was on TREND destinations across all regions. But not only destinations were honored by Germany’s largest online travel magazine, this year, the editorial team once again honored the TRAVELBOOK Personality 2024. All categories at a glance:
- Best destination for a road trip (international)
- Best National Park (DACH)
- Best region for a hiking vacation (DACH)
- Most beautiful small towns in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland – public voting
- TRAVELBOOK Personality 2024
Dorothe Klömmer, Álvaro Blanco, Tassja Damasso, Yannic Stock, Margret Winkler, Karoline Schweers, Carmen Krämer, Michael Beck, Angelika Pickardt, Sören Kliemann, Nuno Alves, and presenter Chris Wackert
The best destination in the world for a road trip is …
… Northern Spain! The north of the south-western European country impressed the road trip enthusiasts on this year’s jury so much that it swept past Wales, Slovenia, Japan’s Hokkaidō, and Namibia to take the top spot in this category.
The jury members are convinced of northern Spain as a road trip destination for several reasons. Not only did the northern part of Spain come out top with an overall score, but the destination also impressed the decision-makers with its forward-thinking and sustainable ideas. Judging by the jury’s points, northern Spain is probably the road trip destination with the highest trend factor – and that’s what the TRAVELBOOK Award is all about in the end.
The best national park in the DACH region is …
… the Schleswig-Holstein Wadden Sea! It impressed our jury so much that it overtook other natural idylls such as the German national parks Berchtesgaden and Müritz as well as the Swiss National Park and the Austrian Gesäuse.
The jury at this year’s TRAVELBOOK Award is convinced by the Wadden Sea in Schleswig-Holstein as the best national park in the DACH region for several reasons. As the clear winner of the category, the Wadden Sea particularly impresses with its unique selling point. This criterion was rated so highly in comparison to its German, Swiss, and Austrian counterparts that it even made up for the second-worst place in terms of trend factor.
The best region for a hiking vacation (DACH) is …
… the Carinthian Lake Region! The southern Austrian lake region was beaten by the Swiss Lake Lucerne region, the German Moselle Valley, and the Swabian Alb, as well as the Austrian Tannheimer Tal. The Carinthian Lake Region was particularly convincing with its infrastructure, its efforts with regard to sustainability, and its trend factor. The jurors also consider the Austrian hiking destination to be particularly versatile.
The best small towns in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland are …
Monschau, Kufstein, and Locarno! This was not decided by the jury members, but by the TRAVELBOOK readers themselves. Over 20,000 votes were cast in total, and the three cities were able to win out quite clearly against nine other candidates from their respective countries.
The TRAVELBOOK Personality 2024 is …
… Josua Wirth, also known as “Travell4llove” on his social media channels! Unfortunately, he was unable to attend the TRAVELBOOK Awards ceremony on October 9, as he is currently helping to combat the consequences of the flood of the century in northern Thailand.
After his girlfriend immigrated to Thailand, Josua Wirth decided to give up his newly launched business and follow her. But instead of flying, he chose to travel overland. In his videos on TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube, he documents his journey and shows his more than two million followers how he watches the World Cup match between Germany and Costa Rica in Iraq with the locals. How he sits among the armed Taliban in Afghanistan. How he started a fundraising campaign for his birthday that raised 23,000 euros for a school in Nepal. Such a journey requires not only courage but also a touch of naivety.
Nuno Alves, editor-in-chief of the BOOK Family, said in his laudatory speech, “Joshua travels with optimism, openness, and, above all, impartiality. In the midst of everything that divides, he searches for the minimal intersection. That, in essence, captures the true spirit of travel. And that is why we are delighted to present this award to someone who has turned an idea into an audacious plan and, with a great deal of open-mindedness and confidence, ultimately into an adventurous journey. A journey that, while beyond the consideration of many, continues to inspire.”
There were only winners!
While the TRAVELBOOK Awards 2024 highlighted the winners in each category, every nominee is a winner for making it to the shortlist. This distinction comes from their successful inclusion on the shortlist for their respective categories. The TRAVELBOOK editorial team drew these up on the basis of the respective long list, naturally, with a focus on trending travel destinations.
The eight-member expert jury had already answered a detailed list of criteria for each shortlisted destination and category by mid-June. A score of 1 (very poor) to 5 (very good) could be awarded for each criterion and destination. The entire list of criteria is available for your perusal.
Based on the completed criteria catalog, there was also a large jury discussion in which the jury members finally determined the respective top places.
TRAVELBOOK AWARD 2024 This German national park is one of the best in the DACH region
Known as "Travell4llove" Josua Wirth is the TRAVELBOOK Personality of the Year 2024
TRAVELBOOK Award 2024 Voted! The most beautiful small town in Germany in 2024 is …
The TRAVELBOOK Award in pictures
Below is a glimpse into the memorable award ceremony held on October 9, 2024:
