25 October 2023
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Zapatoca, Colombia, one of the 54 UNWTO tourism villages 2023
54 villages have been newly unveiled by the United Nations World Tourism Organisation as the world’s best tourism communities.
The accolade recognises villages that are leading the way in nurturing rural areas and preserving landscapes, cultural diversity, local values, and culinary traditions.
The United Nations World Tourism Organisation’s (UNWTO) Best Tourism Villages is a global initiative to highlight outstanding villages with tourism projects that help ‘preserve cultures and traditions, safeguard biodiversity and empower local communities’.
In this third edition, 54 villages from all regions were selected from almost 260 applications. The villages were named during the UNWTO General Assembly, taking place this week in Samarkand, Uzbekistan.
UNWTO secretary-general Zurab Pololikashvili said: ‘Tourism can be a powerful force for inclusivity, empowering local communities and distributing benefits across regions. This initiative acknowledges villages that have harnessed tourism as a catalyst for their development and well-being.’
Best Tourism Villages 2023
List of Best Tourism Villages by UNWTO 2023 is as follows (by alphabetic order):
- Al Sela, Jordan
- Barrancas, Chile
- Biei, Japan
- Caleta Tortel, Chile
- Cantavieja, Spain
- Chacas, Peru
- Chavín de Huantar, Peru
- Dahshour, Egypt
- Dhordo, India
- Dongbaek, Republic of Korea
- Douma, Lebanon
- Ericeira, Portugal
- Filandia, Colombia
- Hakuba, Japan
- Higueras, Mexico
- Huangling, China
- Jalpa de Cánovas, Mexico
- Kandovan, Iran
- La Carolina, Argentina
- Lephis Village, Ethiopia
- Lerici, Italy
- Manteigas, Portugal
- Morcote, Switzerland
- Mosan, Republic of Korea
- Oku-Matsushima, Japan
- Omitlán de Juárez, Mexico
- Oñati, Spain
- Ordino, Andorra
- Oyacachi, Ecuador
- Paucartambo, Peru
- Penglipuran, Indonesia
- Pisco Elqui, Chile
- Pozuzo, Peru
- Saint-Ursanne, Switzerland
- Saty, Kazakhstan
- Schladming, Austria
- Sehwa, Republic of Korea
- Sentob, Uzbekistan
- Shirakawa, Japan
- Sigüenza, Spain
- Şirince, Türkiye
- Siwa, Egypt
- Slunj, Croatia
- Sortelha, Portugal
- St. Anton am Arlberg, Austria
- Tân Hoá, Viet Nam
- Taquile, Peru
- Tokaj, Hungary
- Văleni, Moldova
- Vila da Madalena, Portugal
- Xiajiang, China
- Zapatoca, Colombia
- Zhagana, China
- Zhujiawan, China
Report and image courtesy UNWTO