Over the past three editions, UN Tourism – the new name of the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) - received almost 600 applications from nearly 100 countries. Currently, the UN Tourism Best Tourism Villages Network brings together 186 members globally, comprising 129 recognized as Best Tourism Villages and 57 villages taking part in the Upgrade Programme. Together, they represent 55 countries across five world regions.

Best Tourism Villages by UN Tourism” recognizes those rural destinations where tourism is being effectively embraced as an opportunity or as a tool for sustainable growth or for preserving unique cultural and natural heritage. For the 2024 edition, we look forward to seeing more examples of tourism as a force for good. UN Tourism Secretary-General, Zurab Pololikashvili

Applications welcome

UN Tourism Member States are invited to submit up to eight candidate villages through their National Tourism Administrations (NTAs). Applications are open until 24 April 2024, with the selected villages announced in the third quarter of the year.

An external independent Advisory Board, comprising experts in various fields, evaluates applications based on nine areas: 1. Cultural and Natural Resources; 2. Promotion and Conservation of Cultural Resources; 3. Economic Sustainability; 4. Social Sustainability; 5. Environmental Sustainability; 6. Tourism Development and Value Chain Integration; 7. Governance and Prioritization of Tourism; 8. Infrastructure and Connectivity, and 9. Health, Safety and Security.

Growing tourism for rural development

The “Best Tourism Villages by UN Tourism” initiative, introduced in 2021, seeks to transform tourism into a catalyst for rural prosperity and wellbeing. The initiative takes a dual-pronged approach: valuing and preserving rural villages, their landscapes, cultural diversity, and knowledge systems, and advancing innovative strategies aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The initiative comprises three integral components:

  • The “Best Tourism Villages by UN Tourism” initiative recognizes outstanding examples of rural tourism destinations with cultural and natural assets, that preserve and promote rural and community-based values, products and lifestyle and have a clear committed to innovation and sustainability. Selection is based on an evaluation of their resources and initiatives in nine areas covering the three pillars of sustainable development, i.e., economic, social and environmental.
  • The “Best Tourism Villages by UN Tourism “Upgrade Programme”” benefits applicants that do not fully meet the criteria to obtain recognition. These villages receive support from UN Tourism and partners to address the gaps identified in the evaluation process.
  • The “Best Tourism Villages by UN Tourism” Network provides a space for exchanging experiences and good practices and opportunities. It includes representatives of the Best Tourism Village as well as from the Upgrade Programme and benefits from the contributions of experts, public and private sector partners engaged in the promotion of tourism for rural development. Since its inception, the Best Tourism Villages Network has organized a series of training sessions and masterclasses, reaching hundreds of participants.

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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.

UN Tourism Communications Department
+34 91 567 8100
UN Tourism

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