The prestigious "Zlatna penkala – Golden Pen" award is given to journalists, bloggers and influencers in tourism for the best publications about Croatia as a tourist destination. The 17th edition of the award ceremony took place on June 16th at the Park Plaza Histria Hotel in Pula, and a three-day trip to southern Istria was organised as part of the entire event. Fifteen journalists, bloggers and influencers toured Pula, Brijuni and Fažana, Vodnjan and its Park of kažuni (round dry-stone wall buildings), as well as the Nezakcij Archaeological Site in Valtura and the Vižula Archaeological Park in Medulin.

The Grand Prix is awarded in three categories: for the best print or online media report, for the best radio or television report and for the best blog or social media post.

The Grand Prix for the best report in print media was won by Helene Schmidt, whose article "Istrien - das Kulinarische Kroatien" was published in the renowned magazine Autobild - Reisemobil. In the report, she described a journey through Istria and small medieval towns, and particularly emphasized Istrian gastronomy together with a number of practical tips for visiting the area.

The Slovak team of TV MARKIZA was awarded for the best electronic media report. Journalist Branislav Tomaga and cameraman Miroslav Žilka won the award for a series of 10 episodes about Croatia called "S Markízou v Chorvatsku". Wanting to show their fellow citizens news from their favourite destination, they tirelessly reported live for two weeks from interesting locations.

The grand prix for best travel blog was won by Kate McCulley from the USA. Known as "Adventurous Kate", she has visited 7 continents so far, and Forbes included her in its list of the 10 most influential travel influencers in 2017. During 2020, despite restrictions and fear of a pandemic, she pointed out the beauties of Croatian offerings and the responsibility and kindness of the local inhabitants. She dedicated a special section called "Destinations Croatia" to Croatia as a whole.

In addition to the award organisers, the Croatian National Tourist Board, the event was hosted by the Istria Tourist Board, the Pula Tourist Board and the Southern Istria Tourist Board.