A record number of villages across the world have applied for the fourth edition of Best Tourism Villages Award. The entroes to these titles closed on May 8. The aim of the Best Tourism Village rankings is to promote sustainable and experiential tourism, a travel trend that is gorwing in popularity. The rankings seek to inspire communities worldwide to harness the power of tourism as a driver of rural development and wellbeing.
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Asuka village in Japan topped the upgrade programme last year and the Madla village in Madhya Pradesh also made it to the upgrade programme list. Dhordo village in Gujarat’s Kutch also made to the Best Tourism Village last year.
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The Parameters
Member nations from 60 countries of the UN Tourism’s Member States were invited to submit up to eight candidate villages through their National Tourism Administrations or tourism boards. The villages will be assessed by an external independent Advisory Board in the following areas of evaluation:
1. Cultural and Natural Resources
2. Promotion and Conservation of Cultural Resources
3. Economic Sustainability
4. Social Sustainability
5. Environmental Sustainability
6. Tourism Development and Value Chain Integration
7. Governance and Prioritization of Tourism
8. Infrastructure and Connectivity
9. Health, Safety, and Security
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The enteries for the best tourism villages will now be judged on the above parameters and the results of the Best Tourism Villages as well as those selected to participate in the upgrade programme will be announced in the fourth quarter of the year. There is no clear indication if any Indian village has applied for the coveted recognition. The ministry of tourism has its own rankings of the Best Tourism Villages in India
The entries for the applications were announced in January, and as part fo the process, the Tourism for Rural Development Programme by UN Tourism hosted online sessions with the member countries.
The BTV Network
The Best Tourism Village (BTV Network), currently has a global consortium with 186 members. The Network includes 129 villages recognized as Best Tourism Villages and 57 actively participating in the Upgrade Programme representing 55 countries. This collaborative network is a unique global grouping of local communities and serves as a platform for sharing experiences, growing knowledge, and fostering partnerships to drive rural development through tourism.
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