THEODORE, Ala. (WKRG) – Gardens around the world were celebrated at the International Garden Tourism Conference held earlier this month in Victoria, British Columbia.
Among the award-winning Bellingrath Gardens in Theodora , which was named in a list of 12 gardens as one of the "World Gardens to Visit in 2024".
“To highlight the most dynamic developments in the world of horticulture, we are pleased to announce the 2023 winners of the Gardens of the World to Visit in 2024 competition,” said Iba Gulsen, President of the International Tourism Network of gardens.
Bellingrath's Magical Christmas Lights received critical acclaim from USA Today
The complete list of “Gardens of the World to visit in 2024”:
Adelaide Botanic Gardens, Australia
Bellingrath Gardens, USA
Classical Gardens of Suzhou, China
Gardens by the Bay, Singapore
Monet's garden in Giverny, France.
The Secret Garden, Morocco
Mount Congreve Gardens, Ireland
Nong Nooch Tropical Botanical Garden, Thailand
Sigurta garden park, Italy
Butchart Gardens, Canada
Trentham Gardens, United Kingdom
Vallarta Botanical Garden, Mexico
IGTN also presented the International Garden Tourism Awards 2023. Here is the full list of categories and winners:
Garden of the Year: Triton in Somerset, UK.
New Garden City of the Year: Sejong, South Korea
Garden Tourism Personality of the Year: Donna Dawson, Panama
Garden Festival of the Year: International Garden Festival, Canada.
Flower Festival of the Year: Tulip Time, USA
Garden event of the year: Jardins de Lumière, Canada
Garden Tourism Site of the Year: GardenDestinations.com, USA
Garden Tour Operator of the Year: Brightwater Holidays, UK
Garden Tourism Honorable Mention: Caribbean Horizons Tours, Grenada
Lifetime Achievement Award in Garden Tourism: Gilles Vincent, Canada
Lifetime Achievement Award: Luc Behar Bonellier, France
“As we bring gardens and tourism together at this conference, we are proud to announce the winners of the 2023 International Garden Tourism Awards,” said Gulsen. “These awards represent the true leaders in the world of garden tourism.”
The jury, which selects the winners, is made up of four people chaired by president Dr. Richard Banfield.
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Full list of jury members:
For more information on the International Garden Tourism Network, visit the IGTN website .
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