Rural destinations consolidate their position as key players in sustainable tourism and community development as UN Tourism announces its Best Tourism Villages 2024.
In this fourth edition, 55 villages from all regions received the recognition, chosen from over 260 applications from more than 60 UN Tourism Member States. Another 20 villages were chosen to join the Upgrade Programme.
Tourism is a vital tool for inclusion, empowering rural communities to protect and value their rich cultural heritage while driving sustainable development. The Best Tourism Villages initiative not only recognizes the remarkable achievements of these villages but also highlights the transformative power of tourism. By leveraging their unique assets, these communities can foster economic growth, promote local traditions, and enhance the quality of life for their residents. We celebrate the villages that have embraced tourism as a pathway to empowerment and community well-being, demonstrating that sustainable practices can lead to a brighter future for all. UN Tourism Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili
The Best Tourism Villages by UN Tourism initiative was launched in 2021 to advance tourism’s role in rural areas, preserving landscapes, cultural diversity, local values, and culinary traditions. The Best Tourism Villages (BTV) Network grows every year, and with the announcement of its 75 new members, 254 villages are now part of the largest community of rural destinations in the world.
Uniting Rural Destinations for Sustainable Development
The Best Tourism Villages initiative is part of the UN Tourism for Rural Development Programme. The Programme works to foster development and inclusion in rural areas, combat depopulation, advance innovation and value chain integration through tourism, and encourage sustainable practices.
As in previous editions, the villages were evaluated under nine key areas:
Cultural and Natural Resources
Promotion and Conservation of Cultural Resources
Economic Sustainability
Social Sustainability
Environmental Sustainability
Tourism Development and Value Chain Integration
Governance and Prioritization of Tourism
Infrastructure and Connectivity
Health, Safety, and Security
The initiative comprises three pillars:
Best Tourism Villages by UN Tourism: Recognizes outstanding rural tourism destinations with accredited cultural and natural assets, a commitment to preserving community-based values, and a clear commitment to innovation and sustainability across economic, social, and environmental dimensions.
Best Tourism Villages by UN Tourism Upgrade Programme: Supports villages on their journey to meet recognition criteria, helping them improve in areas identified as weakness during evaluation.
The Best Tourism Villages Network: A space for exchanging experiences and good practices, learning, and opportunities among its members, and it is open to contributions from experts and public and private sector partners engaged in the promotion of tourism as a driver for rural development.
The 55 Best Tourism Villages by UN Tourism 2024 are (in alphabetical order):
Abo Noghta Castles & Historic Tabab, Saudi Arabia
Abu Ghosoun, Egypt
Aínsa, Spain
Amagi, Japan
Anogeia, Greece
Azheke, China
Bo Suak, Thailand
Capulálpam de Méndez, Mexico
Caviahue-Copahue, Argentina
Cuatro Ciénegas de Carranza, Mexico
El Tambo, Ecuador
El Valle de Antón, Panama
Esfahak, Islamic Republic of Iran
Gaiman, Argentina
Gharb Suhayl, Egypt
Grand Baie, Mauritius
Guanyang, China
Huancaya, Peru
Jardín, Colombia
Jatiluwih, Indonesia
Kalopanagiotis, Cyprus
Leymebamba, Peru
Mindo, Ecuador
Mura, Spain
Nishikawa, Japan
Óbidos, Portugal
Ormana, Türkiye
Palizada, Mexico
Pissouri, Cyprus
Portobelo, Panama
Pueblo de Maras, Peru
Quinua, Peru
Ralco, Chile
Roches Noires, Mauritius
Romoos, Switzerland
Ruboni, Uganda
San Casciano dei Bagni, Italy
San Juan del Obispo, Guatemala
San Rafael de la Laguna, Ecuador
Santa Cruz da Graciosa, Portugal
Shibadong, China
Sibayo, Peru
Splügen, Switzerland
St. Johann in Tirol, Austria
Taoping, China
Tra Que Vegetable Village, Viet Nam
Trevelin, Argentina
Uaxactún, Guatemala
Urych, Ukraine
Villa Tulumba, Argentina
Vorokhta, Ukraine
Wukirsari, Indonesia
Xiaogang, China
Xitou, China
Yandunjiao, Chin
From Fast Track to Recognition
This year seven villages from the Best Tourism Villages Upgrade Programme have achieved recognition as Best Tourism Villages. Through the Upgrade Programme villages received mentorship to improve their lowest-scored areas of evaluation and were able to apply through a fast-track process and qualify for Best Tourism Village recognition.
These outstanding villages include Capulálpam de Méndez (Mexico), Grand Baie (Mauritius), Kalopanagiotis (Cyprus), Pissouri (Cyprus), Ruboni (Uganda), Bo Suak (Thailand), and Trevelin (Argentina).
The 20 villages selected to participate in the Upgrade Programme this year are:
Breb, Romania
Campo Ramón, Argentina
Cap Malheureux, Mauritius
Cascas, Peru
Choshuenco, Chile
Dhudmaras, India
Lens, Switzerland
Malalcahuello, Chile
Mexcaltitán de Uribe, Mexico
Mittelberg, Austria
Pals, Spain
Piedades Sur, Costa Rica
Polovragi, Romania
San Juan Bautista, Chile
Santa Catarina Palopó, Guatemala
Seonhakdong, Republic of Korea
Shirayama, Japan
St. Leonhard in Pitztal, Austria
Yamakoshi, Japan
Yörük, Türkiye
The call for submissions for the fifth edition will take place in early 2025, opening a new opportunity for rural destinations to share their inspiring initiatives and get global recognition as rural development champions.
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About UN Tourism
The World Tourism Organization (UN Tourism) is the United Nations agency responsible for the promotion of responsible, sustainable and universally accessible tourism.
As the leading international organization in the field of tourism, UN Tourism promotes tourism as a driver of economic growth, inclusive development and environmental sustainability and offers leadership and support to the sector in advancing knowledge and tourism policies worldwide.
Our Priorities
Mainstreaming tourism in the global agenda: Advocating the value of tourism as a driver of socio-economic growth and development, its inclusion as a priority in national and international policies and the need to create a level playing field for the sector to develop and prosper.
Promoting sustainable tourism development: Supporting sustainable tourism policies and practices: policies which make optimal use of environmental resources, respect the socio-cultural authenticity of host communities and provide socio-economic benefits for all.
Fostering knowledge, education and capacity building: Supporting countries to assess and address their needs in education and training, as well as providing networks for knowledge creation and exchange.
Improving tourism competitiveness: Improving UN Tourism Members’ competitiveness through knowledge creation and exchange, human resources development and the promotion of excellence in areas such as policy planning, statistics and market trends, sustainable tourism development, marketing and promotion, product development and risk and crisis management.
Advancing tourism’s contribution to poverty reduction and development: Maximizing the contribution of tourism to poverty reduction and achieving the SDGs by making tourism work as a tool for development and promoting the inclusion of tourism in the development agenda.
Building partnerships: Engaging with the private sector, regional and local tourism organizations, academia and research institutions, civil society and the UN system to build a more sustainable, responsible and competitive tourism sector.
Our Structure
Members: An intergovernmental organization, UN Tourism has 160 Member States, 6 Associate Members, 2 Observers and over 500 Affiliate Members.
Organs: The General Assembly is the supreme organ of the Organization. The Executive Council take all measures, in consultation with the Secretary-General, for the implementation of the decisions and recommendations of the General Assembly and reports to the Assembly.
Secretariat: UN Tourism headquarters are based in Madrid, Spain. The Secretariat is led by the Secretary-General and organized into departments covering issues such as sustainability, education, tourism trends and marketing, sustainable development, statistics and the Tourism Satellite Account (TSA), destination management, ethics and risk and crisis management. The Technical Cooperation and Silk Road Department carries out development projects in over 100 countries worldwide, while the Regional Departments for Africa, the Americas, Asia and the Pacific, Europe and the Middle East serve as the link between UN Tourism and its 160 Member States. The Affiliate Members Department represents UN Tourism’s 500 plus Affiliate members.
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