BECOME A MEMBER
DOES YOUR DESTINATION DESERVE THE CREATIVE FRIENDLY DESTINATION LABEL?
Reasons to join the Creative Tourism Network®:
1 – Global Recognition and Credibility
Prestige: Being part of an internationally recognized network lends credibility and prestige to your destination, signaling to tourists that your offerings are of high quality and creatively engaging.
Trust: Tourists are more likely to trust and choose destinations affiliated with reputable organizations.
2- Networking Opportunities
Collaboration: Connect with other destinations, businesses, and stakeholders involved in creative tourism, facilitating partnerships and collaborative projects.
Knowledge Exchange: Share best practices, innovative ideas, and success stories with a global community of creative tourism professionals.
3 – Marketing and Promotion
Visibility: Gain exposure through the CTN’s marketing channels, including its website, social media, newsletters, and international events.
Campaigns: Benefit from joint marketing campaigns and promotional activities that can reach a wider audience than individual efforts.
4 – Access to Expertise and Resources
Workshops and Training: Access to specialized workshops, training sessions, and webinars that enhance skills and knowledge in creative tourism.
Guidance: Receive expert advice and support in developing and improving your creative tourism offerings.
5 – Quality Standards & Best Practices
Benchmarking: Learn about and implement best practices in creative tourism to ensure high-quality experiences for visitors.
Standards: Align with the network’s standards for creative tourism, helping to maintain and enhance the quality of your programs.
6 – Advocacy and Representation
Voice in the Industry: Be part of a collective voice advocating for the interests of creative tourism at international forums, conferences, and policy discussions.
Influence: Contribute to shaping the future of creative tourism by participating in CTN’s initiatives and projects.
7 – Innovation and Inspiration
Trends: Stay informed about the latest trends, innovations, and developments in the creative tourism sector.
Ideas: Gain inspiration from successful case studies and innovative projects from other members of the network.
8 – Economic and Social Benefits
Sustainable Tourism: Promote sustainable tourism practices that benefit the local economy and community.
Cultural Preservation: Support the preservation and celebration of local culture, traditions, and crafts.
9 – Access to Funding Opportunities
Grants and Funding: Increase your chances of securing grants and funding opportunities available through CTN’s partnerships and initiatives.
Support: Get assistance in identifying and applying for relevant funding sources.
Our commitment is to ensure that membership fees translate into concrete, valuable, and actionable services for each destination. The membership fee structure — starting at 350€ — has been designed to match the diversity of destinations and the scope and intensity of services offered at each level.
These services can often be financed through international cooperation programs, as they align with the priorities of numerous funding bodies. Many destinations integrate CTN activities into EU‑funded projects, as well as grant schemes launched by organizations such as UNESCO, AECID, GIZ, JICA, BID, CAF, and the World Bank. This enables members to leverage external resources to strengthen capacity‑building, strategic development, and international visibility.
Please find the indicative fee ranges in the table below.
The amounts indicated are indicative and may be adjusted according to the characteristics of the destination and the scope of the services requested.
| Membership Level | Key Benefits | Small Destinations (villages) |
Medium Destinations (mid-sized cities) |
Large Destinations / SIDS (capitals, regions, islands) |
Countries |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Level 1 Membership + MoU |
|
350–450 € | 500–700 € | 750–900 € | On request |
|
Level 2 Digital Presence |
|
1.000–1.200 € | 1.400–1.700 € | 2.000–2.300 € | On request |
|
Level 3 Development & Training |
|
1.500–4.000 € | 4.200–6.500 € | 6.600–8.000 € | On request |
|
Premium Awards & Strategy |
|
On demand | On demand | On demand | On demand |
F.A.Q
Is membership possible for destinations that have not yet implemented a creative tourism program?
Absolutely. The Committee reviews your application to assess your destination’s potential for developing creative tourism. Based on this evaluation, it may validate your existing offer and/or recommend optional services—consultancy, training, or promotion—to support your development.
Is it possible to apply from a private body?
An application may be submitted by a private consultant or organization, but the official signatory must be the destination’s public representative (DMO, local government, or public administration).
Does the Creative Tourism Network® also work on thematic projects?
Sure—we absolutely do. We regularly work on thematic projects, and we genuinely love doing so. For example, we created the Culinary Route of Tunisia, commissioned by GIZ, by co‑designing culinary experiences with local communities across the country. We also developed a creative tourism project for UNESCO to promote the diversity of Caribbean intangible heritage. In other contexts, we have worked in major metropolises to rebuild connections between locals and visitors, and across the Mediterranean to transform seasonality into new opportunities—among many other initiatives.
Does the Creative Tourism Network® work for other organizations than DMOs?
Yes! The Creative Tourism Network® provides consultancy, training, mentoring, and related services to leading international organisations, including UN Tourism, the UN Tourism Academy, UNESCO, UNOSSC, GIZ, business schools, and many others. Read more.
Are Creative Tourism Network®’s services available in different languages
Sure. Whether webinars, training, mentoring, promotion, press campaigns, or simply our day‑to‑day support, all our services are delivered in English, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, and Catalan — with additional languages available upon request.
Is the CreativeFriendlyDestination label permanent?
To ensure the quality of each destination’s offer and its alignment with evolving demand, the CreativeFriendlyDestination® label is renewed and validated annually.
