Press release: GNTB wins prestigious awards for innovative digital projects

Frankfurt am Main, 11 November 2025 – The German National Tourist Board (GNTB) has presented two of its latest digital projects, the gamification application “Grimm's Quest” and the mixed reality app “UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Germany,” at several prestigious competitions and achieved top rankings.

At the German Design Award 2026, “Grimm's Quest” was the winner in the category “Excellent Communications Design – Interactive User Experience.” The German Design Award is presented by the German Design Council. It is one of the most prestigious design awards worldwide and enjoys a high reputation far beyond professional circles. The award ceremony will take place on 6 February 2026, as part of the Ambiente trade fair in Frankfurt am Main.

In addition, “Grimm's Quest” has been nominated for the German Brand Award and the German Innovation Award 2026.

At the Digital Communication Awards (DCA), the GNTB also won gold in the “Contest & Game” category and bronze in the “Storytelling” category with “Grimm's Quest” after an international pitch. Since 2011, Quadriga University of Applied Sciences Berlin has been honoring outstanding projects, campaigns, and innovations in the field of online communication from across Europe in a total of 50 categories at the DCAs. Submissions are evaluated by a jury of experts from the fields of science and online communication.

The GNTB mixed reality app “UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Germany” received the “XR Industry Activation Award” in the “Interactive Business” category. With this new award, the jury of the Next Reality Festival honors projects by companies that achieve a noticeable impact within their industry through the strategic and sustainable use of virtual, augmented, or mixed reality. The jury was looking for projects that change processes, set new standards, or inspire entire markets. The award was presented at the nextReality.festival on November 6 in Hamburg, a two-day event that showcases the most exciting and innovative developments in the field of immersive technologies and media. The GNTB was in direct competition with high-profile large companies in this competition. The UNESCO app has also been nominated for the German Tourism Award and the AUREA Award.

Petra Hedorfer, CEO of the German National Tourist Board (GNTB): "Digital applications are an indispensable tool for presenting Germany as an innovative and attractive quality travel destination in the competition between destinations. For years, we have been setting the pace in the industry with the implementation of immersive technologies and gamification solutions in tourism marketing, for instance. We are proud that the successful implementation has received great recognition through success in high-profile competitions."