More than 260 villages from 60 countries representing all five continents applied for the 2024 edition of UN Tourism's ‘Best Tourism Villages’, which closed on 8 May.
In this fourth edition, UN Tourism Member States were invited to submit up to eight candidate villages through their National Tourism Administrations (NTAs), according to a press release.
In Spain, Casares (Malaga), Ainsa (Huesca), Sos del Rey Catolico (Zaragoza), Cudillero (Asturias), Mura (Barcelona) and Pals (Girona) applied.
As in previous editions, an external independent advisory board will evaluate the villages considering nine areas: cultural and natural resources, promotion and conservation of cultural resources, economic, social and environmental sustainability, tourism development and value chain integration, tourism governance and prioritisation, infrastructure and connectivity, and health, safety and security.
The villages recognised as the best villages for tourism, as well as those selected to participate in the Upgrade Programme, will be announced at the end of the year.
Since the application period opened in January, UN Tourism's Rural Development Tourism Programme has organised a series of online sessions with Member States, providing information about the application process.
One hundred and seventeen participants attended the sessions, in Arabic, English, French and Spanish, demonstrating the widespread interest and commitment of UN Tourism Member States in promoting tourism for rural development.
The "Best Tourism Villages" network, with 186 members from across the world, will continue to grow. The network comprises 129 villages recognised as Best Tourism Villages and 57 actively participating in the Upgrade Programme representing 55 countries.
"This collaborative network represents a unique group of local communities from around the world and provides a platform for sharing experiences, increasing knowledge and promoting partnerships to boost rural development through tourism," the international organisation highlighted.
In previous editions, the following villages received awards: in 2021, Morella (Castellon) and Lekunberri (Navarra), while Cantavieja (Teruel) was selected for the Upgrade Programme; in 2022, Alquezar (Huesca), Rupit (Barcelona) and Guadalupe (Caceres); and in 2023, Cantavieja, Sigüenza (Guadalajara) and Oñati (Guipuzcoa), while Baños de Montemayor was selected for the Upgrade Programme.
UN Tourism requires applicants to be villages with low population density and a maximum population of 15,000 inhabitants, in a landscape with a strong presence of traditional activities such as agriculture, forestry, livestock or fishing, and which share the community's values and way of life.
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