The World Tourism Organization (UN Tourism) has opened the application process for the Best Tourism Villages 2025. The deadline for applications is May 19, 2025.
The Best Tourism Villages program was launched in 2021 with the aim of making tourism a driver of rural development and prosperity. Since its launch in 2021, over 180 Best Tourism Villages have been recognized and another 70 have been selected to participate in the Upgrade Program, under the guidance of experts.
UN Tourism Member States can nominate up to eight villages through their National Tourism Organizations. The winners will be announced in the third quarter of the year.
The “Best Tourism Villages by UN Tourism” program recognizes outstanding examples of rural tourism destinations with cultural and natural strengths, that preserve and promote rural and community values, products, and lifestyles, and have a clear commitment to innovation and sustainability in all its aspects.
Applications are assessed by an independent International Advisory Committee composed of experts in different fields (cultural and natural resource conservation, sustainability, tourism product development, marketing, value chain, etc.) based on nine areas, including sustainability, infrastructure, connectivity, and integration of the tourism value chain.
A space for sharing experiences and good practices for tourism villages
The upgrading program benefits some villages that do not fully meet the criteria to receive recognition. These villages receive support from UNWTO and public and private sector partners to address the gaps identified in the assessment process.
The Best Tourism Villages Network provides a space for sharing experiences good practices and opportunities. It includes representatives of villages recognized as a “Best Tourism Village” as well as villages participating in the Upgrading Programme. The Network also contributes to the work of the World Tourism Organization in identifying good practices and developing guidelines and policy recommendations.
UN Tourism Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili said that the “Best Tourism Villages by UN Tourism” initiative highlights and promotes rural destinations where tourism is used as a catalyst for opportunities, cultural preservation, and sustainable development. By leveraging their unique strengths, these villages, he said, create opportunities for economic development, protect local traditions, and promote a better quality of life for their communities.
“We look forward to welcoming those villages that represent the role of rural tourism as a transformative force for good,” he stressed.
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