Jérôme Viaud — Mayor of Grasse © City of Grasse
BOARD’S CHOICE 2026 — A destination becomes stronger when its identity is specific
Tourism strategies often seek visibility, but visibility alone does not create a destination. The most resilient territories are those able to identify what makes them genuinely distinctive and then connect that identity to culture, economy, public space, events and hospitality.
Jérôme Viaud, Mayor of Grasse, receives Territorial Tourism Leadership 2026 from the European Hotel Awards for a tourism policy centred on the singular identity of Grasse and the Pays de Grasse — particularly its perfume heritage and the living know-how associated with it.
Territorial Tourism Leadership 2026
Jérôme Viaud — Grasse, France
Mayor of Grasse — City of Grasse
Grasse builds tourism around a distinctive territorial identity © City of Grasse
From inherited heritage to active strategy
Grasse possesses an internationally recognised cultural asset: the traditions and expertise connected to perfume. The challenge for territorial leadership is to ensure that this heritage is not reduced to an image from the past.
A living destination uses heritage as a platform for contemporary activity. Culture can support tourism, but it can also connect to education, local businesses, events, public policy and economic development. The destination becomes stronger when these dimensions reinforce one another.
The UNESCO-recognised know-how associated with perfume in the Pays de Grasse gives the territory an exceptional point of differentiation. Leadership determines how that distinction is translated into long-term attractiveness.
A destination becomes credible when heritage, culture, economy and hospitality are developed as parts of one coherent story.
Perfume heritage connects culture, know-how and destination strategy in the Pays de Grasse © City of Grasse
Hospitality begins before the hotel door
The European Hotel Awards recognise territorial leadership because the quality of hospitality depends on the destination around the hotel. Public spaces, cultural assets, mobility, events and the image of a city all influence the guest experience.
For hotels and restaurants, a strong destination creates context and meaning. Visitors do not experience accommodation in isolation; they experience a territory. Municipal and intermunicipal tourism policy therefore contributes directly to the conditions in which hospitality businesses operate.
Jérôme Viaud’s 2026 recognition reflects this wider understanding of tourism leadership.
Territorial tourism leadership links heritage with contemporary attractiveness © City of Grasse
Why Territorial Tourism Leadership is a personal distinction
The Award is presented to Jérôme Viaud himself. It recognises leadership rather than ranking the City of Grasse against other destinations. This distinction is important: the European Hotel Awards are acknowledging the capacity to give direction to a territory and to connect a globally recognised heritage with a broader strategy of attractiveness.
Territorial Tourism Leadership 2026 therefore belongs within the EHA framework as a recognition of the public leadership that can strengthen the environment in which hospitality develops.
Grasse demonstrates that a destination does not need to become generic in order to be international. Its strongest route to visibility is precisely the opposite: to make a distinctive local identity more legible, more alive and more accessible to the world.
Official 2026 laureate film
https://youtu.be/X0Jt7TInJno
Discover the Main Awards dedicated to excellence across European hospitality and visit the Hall of Fame to explore previous laureates.
Tags: Cultural Tourism, European Hotel Awards, Grasse, Jérôme Viaud, Pays de Grasse, Perfume Heritage, Territorial Tourism Leadership 2026, Tourism Leadership
