Labour MEP Daniel Attard has been recognised as Europe’s leading MEP in the field of Sustainable Tourism after winning the Sustainable Tourism Award at the 2026 MEP Awards ceremony held yesterday. The MEP Awards recognise outstanding Members of the European Parliament for their contribution across a range of policy areas.

Over the past year, Attard has led the European Parliament’s work on the future of tourism in Europe as the Parliament’s rapporteur on the file. The report he spearheaded received strong backing from the European Parliament and will serve as the foundation for Europe’s first Sustainable Tourism Strategy.

The award was presented to Daniel Attard by the European Commissioner for the Mediterranean, Dubravka Šuica.
The other finalists in the category were Croatian MEP and former Minister for Tourism Nikolina Brnjac, and Chair of the European Parliament’s Committee on Transport and Tourism, Elissavet Vozemberg-Vrionidi.

In his acceptance speech, Attard said the award carried a special meaning for him. “A year ago, at this very event, I was going through one of the most difficult periods of my public life. Today, standing here, this is not just an
award. For me, it is a full circle moment. It is a reminder that difficult days pass, and that the truth always has its day.”