UN Tourism has launched the fifth edition of Best Tourism Villages initiative, inviting nominations for the Best Tourism Villages 2025 award, which is part of its programme to promote rural tourism as a catalyst for sustainable development and inclusion, while celebrating the rich tapestry of cultural and natural heritage.

In a press statement, UN Tourism says that the programme promotes community values, and sustainable practices that make these destinations unique. It adds that 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, with over 180 villages recognised as Best Tourism Villages and 70 participating in the Upgrade Programme, representing almost 60 countries across five world regions.

The statement adds that the Best Tourism Villages by UN Tourism celebrates rural destinations where tourism serves as a catalyst for opportunity, cultural preservation, and sustainable growth.

“The Best Tourism Villages by UN Tourism 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,” says Zurab Pololikashvili, Secretary-General, UN Tourism.

Zurab Pololikashvili

The statement adds that the 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, and the villages recognised as Best Tourism Villages 2025 will be announced in the third quarter of the year on the occasion of an event organised by UN Tourism.

The statement adds that an external Advisory Board comprising global experts will evaluate applications based on nine key areas, including cultural and natural resources, promotion and conservation of cultural resources, economic, social and environmental sustainability.

The statement adds that 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 and that the recognition highlights rural tourism destinations that excel in preserving cultural and natural heritage, community-based values, and sustainability practices. In the next stage, the upgrade programme provides targetted support to villages that do not fully meet recognition criteria. These villages benefit from tailored guidance to bridge gaps and enhance their offerings and in the final phase the Best Tourism Villages Network serves as a platform for knowledge exchange and collaboration among recognised villages and those in the Upgrade Programme. The Network organises capacity-building initiatives to foster connections across sectors.