The Way of the Holy Grail in Europe has been distinguished with the FOTUR 2025 Tourism Award, consolidating its status as a cultural project of European scope that unites heritage, identity, tradition, and territorial development. The award was presented on December 15 at the Palau Alameda in Valencia during the Anniversary of FOTUR and the 2025 Tourism Awards Gala, an event that brought together institutional representatives, sector entities, and tourism and culture professionals.
The gala, marking the 50th anniversary of the Federation of Leisure and Tourism (FOTUR), featured institutional interventions, artistic performances, and recognition of initiatives contributing to tourism, culture, gastronomy, and creative industries. Among the honorees, The Way of the Holy Grail was recognized as a symbol of culture, tradition, and territorial structuring. Dr. Ana Mafé García, president of the cultural itinerary; Mr. Jesús Gimeno Peris, secretary; and Mrs. Liubov Daniel Albariño, international director, attended on behalf of the project. Their presence underscored the institutional, academic, and strategic nature of the itinerary, which aims to strengthen the cultural projection of the Valencian Community in Europe.
The Way of the Holy Grail is a European cultural itinerary of historical, patrimonial, and spiritual nature, highlighting the documented and symbolic route of the Holy Chalice guarded in the Cathedral of Valencia, traditionally identified with the Holy Grail. It is a long-term cultural and touristic project promoted by the Valencian Community, connecting territories, cities, and landscapes of the Mediterranean basin and Europe through a common story based on history, culture, spirituality, art, and knowledge. The itinerary integrates historical routes linking the Middle East, Italy, France, and Spain, with special prominence of Aragon and Valencia, key territories in the arrival and custody of the Holy Chalice.
Conceived as a tool for territorial structuring and sustainable development, the itinerary aligns with European values of cultural cooperation, intercultural dialogue, peace, and social cohesion. Through cultural, educational, academic, and tourist actions, the project contributes to the deseasonalisation of tourism, the dynamization of rural environments, and the enhancement of tangible and intangible heritage. The itinerary is supported by an International Scientific Commission for the Study of the Holy Grail, providing academic rigour to the historical and symbolic narrative, and works for the certification of the European Cultural Route of the Council of Europe, placing Valencia and the Valencian Community as international benchmarks in cultural, spiritual, and knowledge tourism.
The FOTUR 2025 Tourism Awards recognized emblematic projects and trajectories, with The Way of the Holy Grail standing out as a strategic project aligned with sustainability, European identity, and heritage enhancement. The event concluded with a family photo of winners and authorities, and a networking space emphasizing local products and collaboration. Support for the celebration came from collaborating firms such as Coca-Cola, Bodegas Gandía, Dicoval, Heineken, and Varma, with the Valencian company Pitiminís designing the awards and a 360º audiovisual experience adding an innovative component.
