After days of serious, professional and effective multilateral and bilateral meetings, the 12th General Assembly of the Tourism Promotion Organization for Global Cities (TPO) officially concluded.

At the closing ceremony on the evening of September 5, 2025, the Assembly presented the TPO Awards to member cities for their efforts and achievements in 2024.

The TPO Best Awards were established to recognize innovative and sustainable tourism policies as well as each city’s efforts to enhance its city brand value over the past year. The winning cities achieved outstanding results in their respective fields and serve as exemplary models for all TPO member cities.

1. Tourism Marketing Award

(This award recognizes cities with effective marketing campaigns and programs.)

• Taiping (Malaysia) – “150th Anniversary of Taiping” Campaign
  The “150th Anniversary of Taiping” campaign is a heritage-based tourism marketing model combining strong branding, global outreach, and active community participation. Attracting over 1.2 million visitors, the campaign stands out as a cultural festival and a driver of sustainable tourism, demonstrating outstanding performance in delivering tangible results while honoring cultural heritage on a global scale.

• Ho Chi Minh City – “Find Your Vibes” Campaign
  Ho Chi Minh City’s “Find Your Vibes” campaign is a powerful and creative marketing initiative that successfully captures the city’s dual identity—heritage and modernity—while generating significant, internationally recognized impacts. Its key strengths lie in creative storytelling, global reach, and strategic partnerships, exemplifying a well-executed marketing campaign that showcases the city’s unique identity on the international stage.

• Taichung – 2024 Lantern Festival
  Taichung’s Lantern Festival is a prime example of large-scale cultural tourism marketing, featuring a creative dragon theme and strong community participation, bringing cultural depth and global appeal. The campaign’s main strengths include attracting significant tourist numbers, earning international awards, and contributing substantially to the local economy—demonstrating the success of cultural tourism marketing that other destinations can learn from.

2. Tourism Innovation Award

(This award honors creative ideas and pioneering initiatives that bring new energy to the tourism industry.)

• Incheon – “Incheon Easy” Platform: The Beginning of Smart and Sustainable Tourism
  The Incheon Easy platform represents the seamless integration of AI and AR/VR with local businesses and events, combining sustainable tourism with a smooth visitor experience. As the most-downloaded tourism service platform nationwide and internationally recognized, Incheon Easy successfully links advanced technology with the local economy to deliver tangible benefits, demonstrating excellent technology integration aligned with current business and tourism needs.

3. Sustainable Tourism Award

(This award recognizes cities that have made outstanding efforts to balance tourism development with environmental responsibility and community well-being.)

• Hanoi – “Plastic-Free Tourism” Project
  Hanoi’s Plastic-Free Tourism Project demonstrates strong leadership in the fight against plastic pollution, with a clear objective to eliminate single-use plastic products.

• Ipoh – “Regeneration: Pioneering Sustainable Tourism through the Doughnut Economy Model”
  Ipoh sets a high standard for sustainable tourism through a citywide transformative framework with clear vision and comprehensive metrics. The adoption of the globally recognized Doughnut Economy framework and receipt of the prestigious UN-Habitat Scroll of Honour Award provide powerful third-party validation. This comprehensive plan shows how tourism can restore nature, support communities, and create new livelihoods while gaining global recognition as an international benchmark for sustainable development.

4. Tourism Leadership Award

(This award is presented to a city that has demonstrated outstanding leadership and vision in driving tourism development.)

Ipoh has shown exceptional leadership and significant impact on cultural tourism through the efforts of Ms. Jamunarani S. Nadarajah—Deputy Director of the Ipoh City Council—who has transformed Ipoh into a dynamic hub of heritage, creativity, and international exchange. Ipoh’s core strengths lie in its innovative program design, close stakeholder collaboration, and growing global vision, reflecting excellent leadership in cultural tourism development, delivering meaningful transformation and earning international recognition.