Koka, Japan, 20 March, 2026 —  The curtain fell on the eighth edition of the Japan World's Tourism Film Festival on March 20th at Aikouka Hall in Koka, closing what has become the most competitive gathering in the festival's history. A record of more than 1300 entries from 110 countries arrived in Japan this year, setting the stage for an award ceremony that rewarded the best in storytelling, creativity, and video production in tourism. 

The evening's highest honor, the International Grand Prix, went to The Country of Beauty (Colombia), produced by Tornus Agency for the Ministry of Industry, Trade, and Tourism of Colombia — a film that invites Colombians to discover places they never thought were theirs. The production also earned Gold in Tourism Destination Country, accumulating the maximum 18 points for the CIFFT Rankings, a list that gathers the most awarded productions of the year.

Among the standout performers of the night was Switzerland Tourism, which emerged as one of the most awarded tourism brands of the festival. Its productions received multiple Gold awards across categories, including Beautiful Autumn in Country Promotion, Swiss Sounds by Thylacine in Region Promotion, Waiting for the Game | UEFA Women’s EURO 2025 in Tourism Products, and Bees and Friends: Hotels for Truly Every Need in Tourism Services.

Portugal also stood out with several awards across multiple categories. Gold distinctions went to Alive in Green by the Center of Portugal, The Big Trend by Ofélia de Souza produced by Visit Porto and North of Portugal, The Legacy in Every Gesture, celebrating the traditional Romaria d’Agonia in Viana do Castelo, and The Island by Bensaude Hotels. Additional Silver recognitions went to The Heart of the Countryside, Inside Us by the Center of Portugal, and The Sound of Christmas by Mosteiro do Leitão.

Two Director's Awards were assigned: Taiwan's Travel with You, a music video between the Tourism Administration and singer-songwriter SANDY HXM, was honored for weaving domestic tourism into personal memory; and Poland's Depot History Center, in which a boy time-travels through post-war Wrocław. 

Other awarded institutions included Visit Sweden, the Slovenian Tourist Board, Visit Malaysia, Visit Santorini, the Matsu Islands, the Catalonia Tourism Board, Conil de la Frontera, Rías Baixas – Deputación de Pontevedra, and City of Elbląg, reflecting the wide international representation and diversity of tourism storytelling celebrated at the festival.

Now in its eighth edition, the festival awarded entries across tourism destinations, products, services, and independent film categories, with a dedicated Asian Competition reflecting its commitment to positioning Asia as a leading voice in global tourism filmmaking.

The Japan World's Tourism Film Festival is a member of CIFFT — the International Committee of Tourism Film Festivals. The result carries weight beyond the ceremony itself: JWTFF was the first event on the CIFFT Circuit 2026 — the global competition that will ultimately determine the World's Best Tourism Films of the Year. Nine further festivals are expected to deliver their results before the season culminates at the World Tourism Film Awards in December, making the awards in Koka the opening chapter of one of the industry's most important annual contests.