The Diplomat
UN Tourism opened last week applications call for the 2025 edition of its prestigious Best Tourism Villages initiative. This initiative marks a continued commitment to advancing rural tourism as a catalyst for sustainable development and inclusion, while celebrating the rich tapestry of cultural and natural heritage, community values, and sustainable practices that make these destinations unique.
Since its inception in 2021, the initiative has gained global recognition. Across the previous four editions, UN Tourism has received more than 800 applications from over 100 countries. Today, the UN Tourism Best Tourism Villages Network includes 254 members worldwide: over 180 villages recognized as Best Tourism Villages and 70 participating in the Upgrade Programme, representing almost 60 countries across five world regions.
The Best Tourism Villages by UN Tourism celebrates rural destinations where tourism serves as a catalyst for opportunity, cultural preservation, and sustainable growth
UN Tourism Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili says: “The Best Tourism Villages celebrates rural destinations where tourism serves as a catalyst for opportunity, cultural preservation, and sustainable growth. By harnessing their unique assets, these villages create opportunities for economic growth, safeguard local traditions, and promote a better quality of life for their communities. We are eager to welcome those villages that represent the role of rural tourism as a transformative force for good.”
Best Tourism Villages 2025 – Applications Open
UN Tourism Member States are invited to submit up to eight candidate villages through their respective National Tourism Administrations (NTAs).
Applications will close on May 19, 2025. The villages recognized as Best Tourism Villages 2025 will be announced in the third quarter of the year on the occasion of a UN Tourism event.
An external Advisory Board comprising global experts will evaluate applications based on nine key areas:
- Cultural and Natural Resources
- Promotion and Conservation of Cultural Resources
- Economic Sustainability
- Social Sustainability
- Environmental Sustainability
- Tourism Development and Value Chain Integration
- Governance and Prioritization of Tourism
- Infrastructure and Connectivity
- Health, Safety, and Security
Advancing Rural Development through Tourism
The Best Tourism Villages by UN Tourism initiative aims to leverage tourism as a tool for rural development, well-being, and resilience. By combining efforts to value and preserve rural landscapes, cultural diversity, and knowledge systems, the initiative advances innovative tourism strategies aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The initiative comprises three integral components:
- Recognition as Best Tourism Villages: The recognition highlights rural tourism destinations that excel in preserving cultural and natural heritage, community-based values, and sustainability practices. The evaluation is based on their performance across nine areas spanning economic, social, and environmental dimensions.
- The Upgrade Programme: Provides targeted support to villages that do not fully meet recognition criteria. These villages benefit from tailored guidance to bridge gaps and enhance their offerings.
- The Best Tourism Villages Network: Serves as a platform for knowledge exchange and collaboration among recognized villages and those in the Upgrade Programme. The Network organizes capacity-building initiatives to foster connections across sectors.
The initiative is part of the Tourism for Rural Development Programme by UN Tourism.