Visit Timis, the county’s promotion entity, has become an official member of the international Creative Tourism Network®, a global platform dedicated to creative tourism. This affiliation places Timis County next to destinations such as Barcelona, Medellín, Braga or Cannes and is considered a strategic step in the context of Banat’s candidacy for the title of European Gastronomic Region 2028, a project coordinated by Timis County Council.
The accession strengthens the county’s position on the international map of cultural and sustainable tourism. Along with the city of Gabrovo in Bulgaria, Timis is the only destination in Central and South-Eastern Europe included in this network, recognized for promoting participatory tourism experiences, where visitors are directly involved in cultural, craft or gastronomic activities. Creative Tourism Network® was founded in 2010 with the support of the European Union.
Membership was officially granted during the Creative Tourism International Forum, held on September 30, 2025 in Barcelona, on the margins of UNESCO’s MONDIACULT 2025 Conference. As a result of the affiliation, Visit Timis will benefit from international partnerships with destinations and experts from over 30 countries, access to know-how for the development of sustainable projects, global visibility and “Creative Friendly” certifications, which attest the quality of the destination.
According to Simone Neumann, general director of Visit Timis, this status will allow the acceleration of initiatives related to gastronomic tourism, creative residencies and educational programs. “Our membership confirms Timis County’s potential and connects us to a global community that puts creativity, sustainability and community involvement at the center. […] means projects, standards and partnerships through which we transform Banat’s tangible and intangible heritage into authentic experiences for visitors,” said Simona Neumann.