Golden Pen Media Award

Since 2005, the Golden Pen media award has been awarded to highlight the value of a professional and inspiring approach to writing about Croatia and Croatian tourism. We are aware of the important contribution that foreign journalists, editors, bloggers and influencers make to the recognition of Croatian tourism. Therefore, this award pays tribute to their work and dedication.

Every year, as part of a project, an award ceremony is organised for the best media publications about Croatia in the past year as well as an accompanying professional study trip. The event is an opportunity to present a new Croatian destination and, at the same time, thank the authors who, through their stories, photos, shows and publications, brought the beauty and specificities of Croatia closer to the international audience.

The awards are presented for five categories:
•    best publication in printed media;
•    best on-line publication;
•    best radio or podcast segment/show;
•    best TV segment/show; and
•    best influencer.


Symbolically, the award is named after Slavoljub Eduard Penkala (1871–1992), a famous Zagreb inventor from the early 20th century, whose inventions marked the world of the written word. Penkala, according to the Croatian Encyclopaedic Dictionary, is a colloquial name for the fountain pen, the ballpoint pen and the mechanical pencil with a replaceable core, all of which were named after Penkala.

Among more than eighty of his inventions, the first mechanical pencil (1906) and the first solid-ink fountain pen (1907) stand out, patents that travelled from Croatia and Zagreb into the world and became universal symbols of journalism, creativity and artistry.

We award the prestigious Golden Pen media award to foreign tourism journalists, bloggers and influencers for the best publications in the previous year about Croatia as a tourist destination. 

The Golden Pen media award ceremony will be held on 16 April 2026, co-organised by the Kvarner Region Tourist Board, which will also host the ceremony.

Winners of the Golden Pen Media Award
Golden pen media award 2024
Golden Pen 2024
PDF 5.1MB
Golden Pen 2023
PDF 4.2MB
Golden Pen 2022
Golden Pen 2022
PDF 2.3MB
Golden Pen 2021
Golden Pen 2021
PDF 1.7MB
Golden Pen 2020
PDF 1.4MB
Golden Pen 2019
PDF 2.1MB
Golden Pen 2018
PDF 1.3MB
Golden Pen 2017
PDF 1.3MB
Golden Pen 2016
PDF 1.2MB
Golden Pen 2015
PDF 1.3MB
Golden Pen 2014
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Golden Pen 2013
PDF 0.6MB
Golden Pen 2012
PDF 0.7MB
Golden Pen 2011
PDF 0.6MB
Golden Pen 2010
PDF 0.8MB
Golden Pen 2009
PDF 0.7MB
Golden Pen 2008
PDF 1.2MB
Golden Pen 2007
PDF 0.6MB
Golden Pen 2006
PDF 1.2MB
Golden Pen 2005
PDF 0.7MB
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