Los Angeles, USA – July 1, 2026 — The US International Awards announced the 2026 winners. Tourism once again stood out as the strongest sector in the competition. This year, 47 productions from 19 countries received Finalist, Silver, Gold, and Grand Award distinctions.
The Grand Award: Swiss Sounds by Thylacine
The Grand Award Online & Social Media, one of the competition’s top honors, went to Swiss Sounds by Thylacine, by Switzerland Tourism. The project is as unconventional as it is captivating: French electronic musician Thylacine embarked on a 16-day journey across Switzerland, capturing sounds from trains, boats, cable cars, and natural landscapes, transforming them into an original musical composition. The result is a sensory portrait of a country told through its own acoustic identity. The piece also received a Gold Award in the Region Promotion category.
Switzerland Tourism: Client Company of the Year
No organization left a stronger mark on the 2026 edition than Switzerland Tourism, named Client Company of the Year with an extraordinary haul: 1 Grand Award, 3 Gold Awards, and 1 Silver Award. Beyond Swiss Sounds by Thylacine, the Swiss presence extended across both Corporate Video and Online & Social Media categories, with wins including Beautiful Autumn (Gold, Online Country Promotion) and Bees and Friends (Gold, Corporate Tourism Service), alongside Waiting for the Game - UEFA Women’s EURO 2025 (Silver, Online Tourism Product).
Gold Awards: A World of Creative Excellence
Gold distinctions this year reflected the competition's global reach. In Corporate Video, standout recognitions went to Turismo do Centro de Portugal, Visit Porto and North of Portugal, the Tourism Association of Sarajevo Canton, Film Dunedin from New Zealand, the Sion Tourism Office in Switzerland, Switzerland Tourism, and TYO Inc. representing Japan. In Online & Social Media, Gold Awards were claimed by Switzerland Tourism (twice, for Beautiful Autumn and the Grand Award-winning Swiss Sounds by Thylacine), Visit Sweden, Austria Tourism, the City of Elbląg in Poland, and Mosteiro do Leitão in Portugal.
Silver Recognition: Strength in Depth
Silver Awards across both Corporate Video and Online & Social Media confirmed the competition's impressive geographic spread. Honored organizations included Austria Tourism, the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Tourism of Colombia, Go Türkiye, the Mancomunidad de Municipios del Campo de Gibraltar, Zell am See-Kaprun Tourism, the National PR-Center of Uzbekistan, the Macao Government Tourism Office, the Municipality of Santorini, the Municipality of Viana do Castelo, SWISS Air Lines, Bensaude Hotels, the Tourist Board of the Island Šolta in Croatia, Turespaña, Travel Alberta, Kaunas IN in Lithuania, and Switzerland Tourism (for Waiting for the Game).
A Competition That Reflects the Industry
The 2026 competition was judged by an international panel of leading experts from the advertising, production, media, and creative industries, including representatives from Saatchi & Saatchi, VML, Apple, Siemens, R/GA, Euphoria Creative, Istanbul Line Films, and Al Dente Entertainment.
The US International Awards recognizes the best corporate videos, online and social media content, and documentaries and reports, honoring filmmakers, production companies, agencies, brands, broadcasters, and emerging talent from around the globe. This year's winners included 94 productions.
As an official member of the International Committee of Tourism Film Festivals (CIFFT), the competition's tourism results feed directly into the CIFFT Rankings and the World Tourism Film Awards, amplifying the recognition for all honored productions on a global stage.
About CIFFT:
The International Committee of Tourism Film Festivals (CIFFT), an Affiliate Member of UN Tourism, 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). Find out more at www.cifft.com
