The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) has recently created a list of 54 villages located around the globe for their ability to preserve cultural and natural resources while using tourism as a motor for advancement and sustainability
There are a host of villages like Dhordo in India around the world that are working to preserve their natural assets and implement strategies to maintain their cultural and culinary traditions.
Image: Sam Panthaky / AFP
If meeting local populations and supporting communities through responsible tourism are among your priorities for choosing a destination, you'll want to read this. The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) has recently created a list of 54 villages located around the globe for their ability to preserve cultural and natural resources while using tourism as a motor for advancement and sustainability.
While you may have heard of Tokaj, a Hungarian wine with its golden hue, you may not know about the village that gave its name to the famous nectar and to this wine-growing region, whose landscapes have been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Meanwhile, the village of Hakuba in Nagano prefecture, in what are known as the Japanese Alps, has set itself the goal of becoming energy self-sufficient, in particular through the use of hydroelectric systems. These are two of the villages recognized in the latest list for maintaining their authenticity while embracing innovative and sustainable practices.
And there are a host of other examples of villages around the world that are working to preserve their natural assets and implement strategies to maintain their cultural and culinary traditions. Since 2021, the World Tourism Organization has been dedicating an initiative to the development of tourism in rural areas that preserve and promote their customs and traditions. Based on several sources including information received directly from local tourist boards, the UNWTO selected 54 villages from the 260 applications received by 2023) on the basis of various criteria, including the conservation of their cultural resources and the implementation of programs for economic and social sustainability. There are now 74 villages in the UNWTO Best Tourism Villages Network.
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