Salvador de Bahia has just been distinguished Best Creative Destination in the World, by the Creative Tourism Network® – which rewards companies, projects, and destinations that are committed to creative tourism.
The city received the award for the Salvador Capital Afro project, fostered within the Salvador Afrotourism Development Plan of the Salvador City Council which has been implemented with the capital’s black community since 2021.
The ceremony took place at the International Tourism Fair (Fitur) in Madrid, with the presence of Caroline Couret, founder of the Creative Tourism Network®, Jamile Machado, promotion coordinator of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of Salvador, Marcelo Freixo, president from Embratur and Juliana Bettini, Tourism specialist at the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB).
“This is another important recognition of Salvador Capital Afro and this has only been possible because it is a collective work: public bodies, local black creative talents, and black tourist trade. Joining hands, debating, proposing and realizing. When we all come together, we can change the world and tell new stories,” highlights Simone Costa, manager of the Tourist Actions Center of Prodetur Salvador.
The jury made up of international experts has chosen Salvador among 92 destinations around the world, based on criteria such as the originality of creative experiences and the creation of a sustainable ecosystem.
The director of the Creative Tourism Network®, Caroline Couret, mentioned that the choice of Salvador as the Best Creative Destination in the World was unanimous by the international jury. “In addition to proposing a wide range of creative experiences that reflect the city’s cultural DNA and seduce travelers in search of authenticity and human values, Salvador stands out for the value chain generated in the process of co-creation of said experiences, which reaches much of the Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations 2030 Agenda. A process that is part of the Salvador Capital Afro program, focused on promoting the heritage and traditions of Afro-descendant communities and making creative tourism an axis of sustainable development for all sectors of the city.”
In this sense, Salvador represents a model for many destinations in the world.
For Marcelo Freixo, president of Embratur, “this award is excellent news for Salvador and all of Brazil because it means that what best characterizes the destination, which is its people, and its culture, is valued worldwide.”
It is also for this reason that the organization of the International Conference on Creative Tourism in Salvador was announced, next December 2024.
More about the Creative Tourism Awards
Credit Featured Photo: Renato/Embratur
