Vienna, Austria – October 20, 2023. From 2nd to 20th October, the worldwide audience was invited to vote for their favorite tourism film in the CIFFT “People’s Choice” Award. After garnering an impressive 51.799 votes from 61 countries, the Portuguese production “Monção Deixa Marca”, from Municipality of Monção, has been elected the World’s Best Tourism Film by people’s vote. This remarkable achievement comes after competing with 55 other tourism videos from 24 countries in a highly competitive contest.
Directed by Leonel Vieira, the video intends to promote Monção as an iconic and inspiring destination, inviting visitors to discover myths and legends that shape its customs and traditions.
To leave its mark in the CIFFT “People’s Choice”, the Municipality of Monção ran an extensive community engagement campaign through local radio, theaters, concerts, schools, and various events. With this award, Monção has become an example of how dedication, creativity, and community engagement can lead to global recognition.
"This achievement reflects the exceptional quality of the film “Monção Deixa Marca,” whose fantastic images have captured the world. It is a genuine and unequivocal demonstration that a territory of modest dimensions, but with a very strong identity, can become a world-renowned tourism destination," affirms António Barbosa, mayor of the Municipality of Monção.
Collective voting at a local event in Monção. Photo: Facebook Municipality of Monção
In its sixth edition, the CIFFT "People's Choice" Award counted 126.475 votes across 178 countries. This initiative by the International Committee of Tourism Film Festivals (CIFFT) aims to generate awareness about the essential role of video in promoting tourism and the influence of the people’s voice in shaping perceptions and driving the industry forward.
The 56 videos that participated in the CIFFT “People’s Choice” Award 2023 are also competing in the CIFFT Circuit, the world’s largest competition for tourism videos and advertisements, which brings together international tourism film festivals to award the best productions in the world. Portugal has been part of the competition since 2008 with the ART&TUR festival, which will take place from October 24th to 27th in Caldas da Rainha.
The Municipality of Monção, alongside the top 5 videos on the CIFFT Rankings, will receive the prestigious World's Best Tourism Film trophy at the 35th World Tourism Film Awards gala in Valencia, Spain, on November 22nd, solidifying their well-deserved global recognition.
“We are thrilled by the quality of submissions and the global audience's response the CIFFT “People's Choice” Award 2023. This year’s results reaffirm the influential role of tourism videos and reflect the power of community engagement. We look forward to celebrating Monção’s achievement at the upcoming World Tourism Film Awards gala in Valencia.", said Alexander V. Kammel, CIFFT Director.
About CIFFT
The International Committee of Tourism Film Festivals (CIFFT), an affiliate member of the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), is a globally recognized platform dedicated to promoting excellence in tourism-related audiovisual content. The CIFFT Circuit aims to celebrate the creativity and effectiveness of tourism campaigns, fostering collaboration and knowledge exchange within the industry. The competition is endorsed by the European Travel Commission (ETC), Central America Tourism Agency (CATA), Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO), Skal International, and counts on the support of the Tourism and Society Think Tank (TSTT).
