Two villages in Turkey have been selected for the UN's Best Tourism Villages list, the UN World Tourism Organizations (UNWTO) said Thursday. Mustafapasa village in central Nevsehir province and Tarakli village in northwestern Sakarya province are among the "best examples of villages embracing tourism to provide opportunity," said UNWTO. "A total of 44 villages from 32 countries across the five world regions were granted the recognition in 2021," it said in a statement. "All of them stand out for their natural and cultural resources as well as for their innovative and transformative actions and commitment to the development of tourism in line with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)." A total of 174 villages were proposed by member countries and were evaluated from a set of criteria including, cultural and natural resources, economic, social and environmental sustainability, tourism, health, safety and security, among other metrics. The announcement of the chosen villages came during a General Assembly meeting in Madrid. "Tourism can be a driver of social cohesion and inclusion by promoting a fairer distribution of benefits throughout the territory and empowering local communities," according to UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili. "This initiative recognizes those villages committed to making tourism a strong driver of their development and wellbeing." List of 44 villages Bekhovo, Russian Federation Bkassine, Lebanon Bojo, Philippines Caspala, Argentina Castelo Rodrigo, Portugal Cuetzalan del Progreso, Mexico Cumeada, Portugal Gruyeres, Switzerland Batu Puteh, Malaysia Kaunertal, Austria Le Morne, Mauritius Lekunberri, Spain Mani, Mexico Misfat Al Abriyeen, Oman Miyama, Japan Mokra Gora, Serbia Morella, Spain Mustafapasa, Turkey Nglanggeran, Indonesia Niseko, Japan Nkotsi Village, Rwanda Old Grand Port, Mauritius Olergesailie, Kenya Ollantaytambo, Peru Pano Lefkara, Cyprus Pica, Chile Pochampally, India Puerto Williams, Chile Radovljica, Slovenia Rijal Alma'a, Saudi Arabia Testo Alto, Brazil Saas Fee, Switzerland San Cosme y Damian, Paraguay San Ginesio, Italy Sidi Kaouki, Morocco Solcava, Slovenia Soufli, Greece Taraklı, Turkey The Purple Island, Republic of Korea Ungok Village, Republic of Korea Valposchiavo, Switzerland Wonchi, Ethiopia Xidi, China Yucun, China -
|