The 20th annual ceremony was attended by 33 journalists from Europe, the United States, China and Azerbaijan, 14 previous award recipients, and representatives of the Ministry of Tourism and Sport, the City of Dubrovnik, Dubrovnik-Neretva County and local tourist boards.
The foreign journalists are staying in Dubrovnik until 10 May, and during their stay they have visited other destinations and attractions in the county, including the Pelješac peninsula, the Neretva river and Cavtat.
The Golden Pen awards are given in six categories - best radio report, best online media report, best print media report, best travel blog, best social media post and best television report.
All the journalists who arrived in Dubrovnik for this occasion were awarded and the Grand Prix awards in the six categories went to journalists from the United Kingdom, Hungary, Finland, Netherlands, Germany and Italy.
British journalist Adrian Chiles is this year's Grand Prix winner for best radio report about Murter. His report focused on cultural heritage, gastronomy, and personal family stories from the island. One of his reports from Murter was broadcast on the BBC Radio.
Hungarian journalists Anna Gall and Eszter Nagy won the Grand Prix for best online report. Their article about a trip to Istria was published on the Hungarian news website Index, which has almost 5 million views per day.
The Grand Prix for best print media report went to Finnish journalist Pirjo Houni-Lundberg and Swedish photographer Marica Rosengård for their article about the beauty of the Plitvice Lakes, published in the Finnish Mondo Travel Magazine.
The Grand Prix for best travel blog was awarded to Dutch journalists Marjolein Linstra and Danny van der Meijden, who described the advantages and charms of different Croatian regions on their platforms, as well as their own experiences.
Sohi Malih and Elisa Malih from Germany won the Grand Prix for best social media post. Their posts attract the attention of their followers and the media, which often take over their posts about Croatian tourism.
Licia Colo and Alessandro Antonino from Italy received the Grand Prix for best television report for their report on the Plitvice Lakes, broadcast on the Italian TV channel LA7.
All the award-winning journalists were enthusiastic about what they saw during their study trip to Dubrovnik, saying they would certainly come back again.