UN Tourism opens calls for Best Tourism Villages 2024

UN Tourism has opened applications for the 2024 edition of its Best Tourism Villages initiative.

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.

UN Tourism Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili says: “For the 2024 edition, we look forward to seeing more examples of tourism as a force for good.”

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, spanning cultural & natural resources, promotion & conservation of culture resources, economic, social & environmental sustainability, tourism development & value chain integration, governance & prioritisation of tourism, infrastructure & connectivity, health, safety & security, and more.

The Best Tourism Villages by UN Tourism, 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 including the Best Tourism Villages by UN Tourism list, the Best Tourism Villages Upgrade Programe, and the Best Tourism VIllages NetworkThe initiative comprises three integral components: through the Best Tourism Villages by UN Tourism list, the Best Tourism Villages Upgrade Programe, and the Best Tourism VIllages Network