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Over 260 applications from 60+ countries: Best Tourism Villages 2024 adventure kicks off

Over 260 applications from 60+ countries: Best Tourism Villages 2024 adventure kicks off

Over 260 villages from more than 60 countries representing the five regions of the world have put themselves forward for the 2024 edition of Best Tourism Villages by UN Tourism 2024. This marks the highest volume of applications ever received in the past four editions.

Application Window Closes for Fourth Edition

Applications for the fourth edition of Best Tourism Villages closed on 8 May. Building on the success of past editions, this year's initiative will again inspire communities worldwide to harness the power of tourism as a driver of rural development and wellbeing.

UN Tourism’s Member States were invited to submit up to eight candidate villages through their National Tourism Administrations (NTAs). As in previous editions, the villages will be assessed by an external independent Advisory Board in nice 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

The villages recognized as 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.

A growing global network of Tourism Villages

Since launching the call for applications in January, the Tourism for Rural Development Programme by UN Tourism has hosted a series of online sessions with the Member States, offering insights into the application process. These sessions in Arabic, English, French and Spanish, drew in 117 participants, highlighting the widespread interest and commitment of UN Tourism Member States to advancing tourism for rural development.

The BTV Network, currently boasting a global consortium with 186 members, will continue to grow. 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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UNWTO Launches new Tool to Promote Collaboration Among World’s Best Tourism Villages

UNWTO Launches new Tool to Promote Collaboration Among World’s Best Tourism Villages

UNWTO has launched the world’s biggest digital hub for communities focused on rural tourism. The ‘TourismConnectsRural’ platform will boost collaboration across the Best Tourism Villages by UNWTO Network, connecting around 200 rural destinations in every global region.

Empowering Village Connections

TourismConnectsRural is designed to facilitate internal communication, allowing villages to exchange experiences and insights, and take part in masterclasses focused on growing tourism as a driver of rural development. Key features of the platform include:

  • Experience Exchange: Villages can share their unique experiences, insights, and best practices through the platform, or work together on specific topics creating a dynamic ecosystem of knowledge.
  • Masterclasses: A comprehensive bank of masterclasses will allow villages to enhance their skills and sustainable tourism practices.
  • Interactive Communication: The platform enables real-time interaction, allowing villagers to engage in meaningful conversations, ask questions, and collaborate effortlessly.
  • Event Hub: Villages can showcase their events and stay informed about special occasions, fostering a sense of community through the exchange of information.

Zorista Urosevic, Executive Director at UNWTO says: "UNWTO is empowering rural communities by providing a digital space where they can converse, collaborate, and collectively learn and contribute to the sustainable development of their regions. Communities in our Best Tourism Villages Network now have unprecedented access to a space where they can communicate, share, and learn from their counterparts globally."

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‘Best Tourism Villages’ of 2022 Named by UNWTO

‘Best Tourism Villages’ of 2022 Named by UNWTO

From Austria to Vietnam, 32 destinations from all around the world have been named as ‘Best Tourism Villages 2022’ by the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO).

The accolade recognizes rural destinations that are embracing tourism as a driver of development and new opportunities for jobs and income, while preserving and promoting community-based values and products. The initiative also recognizes villages for their commitment to innovation and sustainability in all its aspects – economic, social and environmental – and a focus on developing tourism in line with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

In 2022, a total of 32 villages from 22 countries across the five world regions were awarded the recognition. The villages were evaluated by an independent Advisory Board based on a set of criteria covering nine areas:

The Best Tourism Villages by UNWTO showcase the power of the sector to drive economic diversification and create opportunities for all outside of big cities

  • 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

Welcoming the news, UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili said: “For rural communities everywhere, tourism can be a true gamechanger in providing jobs, supporting local businesses and keeping traditions alive. The Best Tourism Villages by UNWTO showcase the power of the sector to drive economic diversification and create opportunities for all outside of big cities.”

A total of 136 villages were put forward for consideration by 57 UNWTO Member States (each Member State could nominate a maximum of three villages) for the 2022 edition. From these, 32 were recognized as Best Tourism Villages by UNWTO.

A further 20 villages will enter the Upgrade Programme. All 52 villages will also become part of the UNWTO Best Tourism Villages Global Network created in 2021 which from this date gathers 115 villages from the five continents. The Network provides a number of benefits including onsite and online training, sharing of good practices and international brand recognition and awareness.

Tourism as a driver of rural development and inclusion

The Best Tourism Villages initiative is the flagship project of the UNWTO Tourism for Rural Development Programme. The Programme aims to ensure tourism contributes to reducing regional inequalities in income and development, fighting depopulation, progressing gender equality and women’s and youth empowerment, advancing innovation and digitalization, improving connectivity, infrastructure, access to finance and investment, innovating in product development and value chain integration, promoting sustainable practices for more efficient use of resources and a reduction of emissions and waste and enhancing education and skills. The Programme promotes multi-level governance and partnerships and the active involvement and empowerment of communities.

Best Tourism Villages by UNWTO

The Best Tourism Villages initiative includes three pillars: 

  1. The ‘Best Tourism Villages by UNWTO’: Recognizes villages that are an outstanding example of a rural tourism destination with accredited cultural and natural assets, that preserve and promote rural and community-based values, products, and lifestyle and have a clear commitment to innovation and sustainability in all its aspects – economic, social and environmental.
  2. The ‘Best Tourism Villages by UNWTO’ Upgrade Programme: The Upgrade Programme benefits a number of villages that do not fully meet the criteria to receive recognition. These villages receive support from UNWTO and its Partners in improving elements of the areas identified as gaps in the evaluation process.
  3. The ‘Best Tourism Villages by UNWTO’ Global Network: The Network provides a space for exchanging experiences and good practices, learnings, and opportunities. It includes experts and public and private sector partners engaged in the promotion of tourism for rural development, as well.

The Award Ceremony will take place in AlUla, Saudi Arabia on 27-28 February 2023 back-to-back with the first presential meeting of the UNWTO Network of Best Tourism Villages.

The next edition of the Best Tourism Villages by UNWTO will open in February 2023.

List of Best Tourism Villages by UNWTO 2022:

  • Zell am See, Austria
  • Wagrain, Austria
  • Puqueldón, Chile
  • Dazhai, China
  • Jingzhu, China
  • Choachí, Colombia
  • Aguarico, Ecuador
  • Angochagua, Ecuador
  • Choke Mountains Ecovillage, Ethiopia
  • Mestia, Georgia
  • Kfar Kama, Israel
  • Sauris-Zahre, Italy
  • Isola del Giglio, Italy
  • Umm Qais, Jordan
  • Creel, Mexico
  • El Fuerte, Mexico
  • Ksar Elkhorbat, Morocco
  • Moulay Bouzerktoune, Morocco
  • Lamas, Peru
  • Raqchi, Peru
  • Castelo Novo, Portugal
  • Pyeongsa-ri, Republic of Korea
  • Rasinari, Romania
  • AlUla Old Town, Saudi Arabia
  • Bohinj, Slovenia
  • Rupit, Spain
  • Alquézar, Spain
  • Guadalupe, Spain
  • Murten, Switzerland
  • Andermatt, Switzerland
  • Birgi, Türkiye
  • Thái Hải, Vietnam

Additionally, UNWTO will work with the following villages participating in the Upgrade Programme:

  • Trevelin, Argentina
  • Krupa na Vrbasu, Bosnia-Herzegovina
  • Fontainhas, Cabo Verde
  • Ninhue, Chile
  • San Vicente de Chucuri, Colombia
  • Barichara, Colombia
  • Kalopanagiotis, Cyprus
  • Pissouri, Cyprus
  • Adaba, Ethiopia
  • Khonoma, India
  • Neot Semadar, Israel
  • Otricoli, Italy
  • Il Ngwesi, Kenya
  • Grand Baie, Mauritius
  • Bella Vista, Paraguay
  • Istebna, Poland
  • Ferraria de São João, Portugal
  • Castara, Trinidad and Tobago
  • Anıtlı, Türkiye
  • Cumalıkızık, Türkiye

Applications in 2021 and 2022 were evaluated by an independent Advisory Board. The composition of this multidisciplinary board for 2021-2022 is as follows:

  • Federico de Arteaga (PhD, Innovation Sustainability, 2022)
  • Joel Callañaupa (Planeterra, 2022)
  • Mari Dunleavy (ICCA Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture, 2022)
  • Ahmed Eiweida (World Bank, 2022)
  • Elena García Garrido (ENRD, 2022)
  • Christian Gsodam (ECR European Committee of the Regions, 2021-2022)
  • Amran Hamzah (CIPD Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, 2021-2022)
  • Ena Harvey (ICCA Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture, 2021)
  • Lázaro Israel (Member of the Panel of Experts International Fund for Cultural Diversity at UNESCO, 2021-2022)
  • (Dr.) Manal Kelig (ATTA Adventure Travel Trade Association, 2021-2022)
  • Judy Kepher Gona (STTA Sustainable Travel & Tourism Agenda, 2021-2022)
  • Fergus Maclaren (ICOMOS International Cultural Tourism Committee, 2021-2022)
  • Joxe Mari Aizega (BCC Basque Culinary Center, 2021)
  • David Mora Gómez (BCC Basque Culinary Center,2022)
  • Ximena Muñoz Vivas (Instituto Design Thinking, 2021-2022)
  • Fabrizio Angelo Orlando (TripAdvisor, 2021-2022)
  • Helena Rey de Assis (UNEP – UN Environment Programme, 2021)
  • Jacqui Taylor (Agritourism Africa, 2022)
  • Peter Wostner (Researcher and Policy Expert. Chairman of the Working Party on Rural Policy at OECD, 2021)
  • (Dr.) Endo Yoshihide (FAO Food and Agriculture Organization, 2021-2022)
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UNWTO Opens Call for ‘Best Tourism Villages’

UNWTO Opens Call for ‘Best Tourism Villages’

Deadline for applications to the pilot initiative Best Tourism Villages by UNWTO closed. Selected villages coming soon!
  • UNWTO is recognizing villages across the world that are committed to the promotion and preservation of their cultural heritage and sustainable development through tourism
  • New initiative announced at the opening of UNWTO Middle East regional office in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

The search is on for the best examples of rural villages harnessing the power of tourism to provide opportunity and safeguard their communities, local traditions and heritage. The initiative of the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) will identify villages taking innovative and transformative approaches to tourism in rural areas in line with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

With the vision of making tourism a positive force for transformation, rural development and community wellbeing, ‘Best Tourism Villages by UNWTO’ aims to maximise the contribution of the sector to reducing regional inequalities and fighting against rural depopulation. It also seeks to advance the role of tourism in valuing and safeguarding rural villages along with their associated landscapes, knowledge systems, biological and cultural diversity, local values and activities, including gastronomy.

We want to recognize the uniqueness of each village and showcase the best initiatives to make tourism a means for a better future in rural areas

The launch of the ‘Best Tourism Villages by UNWTO’ initiative takes place on the occasion of the opening of UNWTO’s Regional Office in the Middle East (Riyadh, Saudi Arabia), underscoring the focus of the Office on, among other issues, the role of tourism in rural development.

Celebrating tourism as a driver of rural development and wellbeing

“Tourism can be a driver of positive change for rural communities all around the world,” said UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili. “We want to recognize the uniqueness of each village and showcase the best initiatives to make tourism a means for a better future in rural areas. As we restart tourism, we work to ensure that we leave no one - and no village- behind.”

At the opening of the UNWTO Regional office in Riyadh, His Excellency Ahmed Al Khateeb, Saudi Arabia’s Minister for Tourism, said: “We are proud to be a partner of UNWTO as they launch this important initiative. For our rural communities, tourism is an opportunity to share their vibrant culture, amazing food and famous Saudi hospitality, while benefitting from the socio-economic opportunities provided by the sector.”

The initiative includes three pillars: 

1. The ‘Best Tourism Villages by UNWTO’ Label: The Label will recognize a village which is an outstanding example of a rural tourism destination with recognized cultural and natural assets, that preserves and promotes rural and community-based values, products and lifestyle and has a clear commitment to innovation and sustainability in all its aspects – economic, social and environmental.

2. The ‘Best Tourism Villages by UNWTO’ Upgrade Programme: The Upgrade programme will benefit a number of villages that do not fully meet the Label criteria. These villages will receive support from UNWTO and its Partners in improving elements of the areas identified as gaps in the evaluation process.

3. The ‘Best Tourism Villages by UNWTO’ Network: The Network will provide a space for exchanging experiences and good practices, learnings, and opportunities. It will include representatives of the villages awarded the ‘Best Tourism Village by UNWTO’ Label, the villages participating in the Upgrade Programme, as well as experts, public and private sector partners engaged in the promotion of tourism for rural development.

UNWTO Members States can present up to three villages to be assessed by the Initiative. Applications will close on 31 July 2021. The selected villages will be announced in October 2021, on the occasion of the 24 session of the UNWTO General Assembly (Marrakesh, Morocco).

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Startup Competition Seeks Ideas to Accelerate Rural Development Through Tourism

Startup Competition Seeks Ideas to Accelerate Rural Development Through Tourism

The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) has launched a new competition to identify the best ideas that will help rural communities recover from the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Global Rural Tourism Startup Competition will also support the entrepreneurs and enterprises that can help rural communities seize the economic and social opportunities that will come as tourism restarts.

The United Nations specialized agency has recorded rising interest in unique and authentic travel experiences, including in nature-based and outdoors tourism. With this trend expected to accelerate as tourism restarts, the Startup Competition is looking for those ideas that will help ensure rural communities are best-placed to benefit. The competition will also look for ideas that will help build resilience in rural communities.

The Competition aims to support rural tourism as a key tool to fight depopulation, promote inclusion and reduce regional inequalities in income and development as part of UNWTO’s special focus on tourism for rural development.

Applications are now open for four categories:

  • People –Leaving no one behind: Projects that incentivize the creation of jobs and opportunities, promote gender and youth empowerment, and build opportunities for vulnerable groups in rural areas.
  • Planet – Building back better Projects related to the promotion and protection of natural resources, including addressing tourism’s impact on climate change, we as well as waste and resource consumption.
  • Prosperity- opportunities for growth Startups that provide innovative solutions through new business models, instruments that promote access to finance, markets and marketing for tourism in rural areas.
  • Propulsion of Rural Tech – Implementation of new technologies to advance tourism and development in rural areas.

The deadline for applications is 1 July 2021. Winners will be invited to take part in the UNWTO General Assembly, to be held in Marrakesh, Morocco, this October. 

The new competition builds on the success of UNWTO’s search for the best startups in Spain. That initiative saw more than 150 projects put forward for consideration, with the winners receiving mentorship and support from the Spanish Government and Google. For this global edition UNWTO welcomes Viajes National Geographic as its media partner. It also enjoys the support of key institutional collaborators, namely Air Europa and Wakalua as Travel Partners alongside Amazon Web Services Activate, HèPic, Impact Hub, the International Trade Centre, Fademur, The Ministry for the Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge of Spain, NEST Portugal, Telefonica Open Future and the TUI Care Foundation.

For more information and to apply, visit the UNWTO Startup Competitions and Challenges webpage.

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Rural Development and Recovery Focus of Executive Training Programme

Rural Development and Recovery Focus of Executive Training Programme

Tourism leaders from 18 countries met for the 14th annual UNWTO Asia-Pacific Executive Training Programme. In line with UNWTO’s Year of Tourism and Rural Development, the three-day programme focused on sharing knowledge and good practice relating to harnessing the power of the sector to create opportunities for all outside of big cities.

Since 2006, UNWTO has organized the special training session with the support of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism of the Republic of Korea. This Executive Training Programme is the only initiative of its kind in the region and is renowned for its stimulating content and thought-provoking discussions. Participants are able to design and formulate policies and programmes in their respective destinations to further stimulate tourism growth and enable the sector to be a viable force for good.

This 14th session, held virtually between 15-17 December, welcomed 37 participants from 18 different countries. The event was opened by Mr. Harry Hwang, Director for the Regional Department of Asia and the Pacific, followed by pre-recorded congratulatory remarks from both UNWTO Secretary-General, Zurab Pololikashvili, and Vice-Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism of the Republic of Korea, H.E. Ms. Youn-he Choi.

Among the topics addressed were governance and community development for enhanced rural development, and product development and commercialization of tourism experiences in rural areas. Also, and in line with UNWTO’s wider focus on innovation as a means of driving recovery, participants explored ideas relating to the digital transformation of tourism, including the potential to create new education and work opportunities. Furthermore, a special feature of this year’s edition of the Training Programme was a Special Session on Restarting International Tourism which presented successful case studies China, Greece, The Maldives, Portugal and the Republic of Korea. 

Finally, recognizing the unprecedented impact that the COVID-19 pandemic has had on global tourism, the training programme aimed to facilitate the sharing of good practices for the recovery of tourism with practical examples from the region and beyond. The Minister of Tourism of the Maldives, H.E. Dr. Abdulla Mausoom, presented encouraging numbers of international tourists in the Maldives, with over 35,759 international arrivals in November compared to 1,752 in July when the country started to reopen its borders. This was all thanks to the successful implementation of regulations and health protocols involving PCR testing, the creation of a tourist help desk at the airport, monitoring of inter-resort movements, and compliance training for tourism staff.

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Tourism and Rural Development

Tourism and Rural Development

Tourism’s many benefits must be felt outside of urban areas for the sector to fulfil its potential to provide opportunities for all: That was the key message of World Tourism Day 2020 as UNWTO united the global community around the theme of “Tourism and Rural Development”.

Around the world, tourism is a lifeline for rural communities, providing jobs, supporting rural businesses and protecting natural and cultural heritage. World Tourism Day 2020 emphasized the role the sector will play in helping rural areas recover from the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and build for the future.

Messages promoting the day were shared by the Secretary-General of the United Nations, António Guterres, His Holiness Pope Francis, UNWTO’s network of Ambassadors, including Spanish football star Iker Casillas, heads of Government including Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, and UN agencies and international organizations, from UNESCO and ITC to the OECD and IATA.

‘A lifeline for rural communities’

Tourism has proven to be a lifeline for many rural communities, but its true force still needs to be fully deployed

UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili said: “Tourism has proven to be a lifeline for many rural communities, but its true force still needs to be fully deployed. This World Tourism Day highlighted our sector’s unique ability to reach those who would otherwise be left behind, providing opportunities for all, transforming lives and protecting the cultural heritage that makes us human.”

The celebration was hosted by the MERCOSUR nations (Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay and Chile as associate member), the first time in the 40-year-history of history of the international day of observance that hosting duties have been shared.

Ministers show shared commitment

Germán Cardoso, Minister of Tourism for Uruguay, highlighted rural tourism’s importance for helping countries diversify their markets, noting it offers “sensitive and emotional experiences” for visitors alongside its benefits for the communities themselves. The Minister of Tourism for Argentina Matías Lammen noted that “tourism in South America is regional…whoever visits us usually visits more than one country”, making a joined-up approach to building a “greener future” essential. Marcelo Alvaro Antonio, Minister of Tourism for Brazil, singled out the importance of innovation and investment and the “power of ecotourism and adventure tourism”. For Paraguay, Minister Sofía Elizabeth Montiel de Afara, reaffirmed her government’s “commitment to the Goals of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development”, and its emphasis on working with local communities. The Under-Secretary of Tourism for Chile, José Luis Uriarte, similarly pledged to use tourism to “support rural communities suffering from the economic and social repercussions of this pandemic.”

Taking part in the round-table discussion that followed were Mario Alberto González Sanchez, Director of Mexican Secretariat of Tourism, and the Chilean chef and UNWTO Special Ambassador, Pilar Rodriguez. Joining them were Lisandro Menu-Marque, Director at Globalia, and Shannon Stowell, CEO of the Professional Adventure Travel Association and the Adventure Travel Fund of the USA.

UNWTO: Guiding recovery and rewarding innovation

UNWTO used the occasion of World Tourism Day to launch its new Recommendations on Tourism and Rural Development. The new publication outlines the key steps destinations can take to fully harness the potential of tourism to help drive social and economic recovery outside of urban areas.

Recognising the important role new ideas and technology will play in this, UNWTO also announced the winners of its Rural Tourism Innovation Competition. Organized with the Government of Spain, Google Spain and the Federation of Rural Women’s Associations (FADEMUR). The competition attracted more than 130 applications from across Spain. Almost half of applications (43%) were put forward by women. My Street Book won the prize in the Innovation category, and the winner of the prize for the start-up with the biggest social impact was Van Woow.

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World Tourism day 2020: Global Community Unites to Celebrate “Tourism and Rural Development”

World Tourism day 2020: Global Community Unites to Celebrate “Tourism and Rural Development”

The 2020 edition of World Tourism Day will celebrate the unique role that tourism plays in providing opportunities outside of big cities and preserving cultural and natural heritage all around the world.

Celebrated on 27 September with the theme of “Tourism and Rural Development”, this year’s international day of observation comes at a critical moment, as countries around the world look to tourism to drive recovery, including in rural communities where the sector is a leading employer and economic pillar.

The 2020 edition also comes as governments look to the sector to drive recovery from the effects of the pandemic and with the enhanced recognition of tourism at the highest United Nations level. This was most notably illustrated with the recent release of a landmark Policy Brief on tourism from UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres in which he explained that “for rural communities, indigenous peoples and many other historically marginalized populations, tourism has been a vehicle for integration, empowerment and generating income.”

Historic International Cooperation

All around the world, tourism empowers rural communities, providing jobs and opportunity, most notably for women and youth

For the first time in the 40-year history of World Tourism Day, the official celebration will not be hosted by a single Member State of the United Nations specialized agency. Instead, nations from the MERCOSUR Member States (Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay, with Chile joining as Member Associate status) will serve as joint hosts. This co-hosting agreement exemplifies the spirit of international solidarity that runs through tourism and which UNWTO has recognized as essential for recovery.

UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili said: “All around the world, tourism empowers rural communities, providing jobs and opportunity, most notably for women and youth. Tourism also enables rural communities to hold onto their unique cultural heritage and traditions, and the sector is vital for safeguarding habitat and endangered species. This World Tourism Day is a chance to recognize the role tourism plays outside of major cities and its ability to build a better future for all.”

Rural areas hit hard by COVID-19

For countless rural communities around the world, tourism is a leading provider of employment and opportunities. In many places, it is one of the few viable economic sectors. Moreover, development through tourism can also keep rural communities alive. It is estimated that by 2050, 68% of the world population will live in urban areas, while 80% of those currently living in ‘extreme poverty’ live outside of towns and cities.

The situation is particularly hard for youth: young people in rural communities are three times more likely to be unemployed than older adults. Tourism is a lifeline, offering young people a chance to earn a living without having to migrate either within their home countries or abroad.

World Tourism Day 2020 will once again be celebrated by UNWTO’s Member States in all global regions as well as by cities and other destinations and by private sector organizations and individual tourists. It comes as communities in rural areas also struggle with the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. These communities are usually much less-prepared to deal with the short and longer-term impacts of the crisis. This is due to a number of factors, including their aging populations, lower income levels and the continuing ‘digital divide’. Tourism offers a solution to all of these challenges.  

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Innovation and Rural Development Takes Center Stage For Ministers’ Summit at World Travel Market

Innovation and Rural Development Takes Center Stage For Ministers’ Summit at World Travel Market

London, United Kingdom, 5 November 2019 – Tourism leaders from across the public and private sectors came together at the World Travel Market (WTM) in London for a high-level discussion on tourism’s role in rural development, the challenges and the opportunities. The Ministers’ Summit on “Technology for Rural Development”, hosted by the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) in partnership with WTM, focused on tourism innovation and technology and their place in empowering rural communities.

The Ministers’ Summit was held as the UNWTO works with its Member States and alongside its fellow United Nations agencies to face up to the challenges posed by rising levels of urbanization. According to the UN, 68% of the world’s population will live in cities by 2050. In many places, this has meant rural communities are “left behind”, and tourism has been identified as a key means of bridging the rural-urban divide by creating jobs and boosting economic sustainability.

Given the growing interest in rural development, the event, the 13th Ministers’ Summit held by UNWTO in partnership with WTM, attracted a large audience of delegates. Alongside 75 Ministers and Vice-Ministers of Tourism, members of the global media joined senior travel industry professionals for the high-level discussions, which were moderated by Nina Dos Santos, CNN’s Europe Editor.

Opening the Summit, Mr. Pololikashvili said: “Globally, poverty is overwhelmingly rural. This means, if we are serious tourism being a driver growth and development, we must look outside of our cities: We need to work together to help even the smallest community enjoy the many and varied benefits that tourism can bring.”

Participants from both the private and public sector explored the potential benefits of digital technology, agreeing that innovation and knowledge dissemination will be vital for bridging the rural-urban divide. Alongside private sector leaders, the public sector was represented by highest-level tourism representatives from Albania, Bolivia, Colombia, Greece, Guatemala, Panama, Portugal, Saudi Arabia, Sierra Leone and Yemen, in addition to Gloria Guevara, President and CEO of the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) and UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili. Both public and private sector participants were united in their commitment to ensuring tourism’s contribution to rural development is geared to leaving no one behind.

At its recent General Assembly, UNWTO announced “Rural Development and Tourism” as the theme for World Tourism Day 2020, the global observance day celebrated every 27 September and underscoring tourism’s socio-economic relevance.

Against this backdrop, the outcomes of this year’s Ministers’ Summit at World Travel Market will serve as the foundations upon which to build the overarching thematic angle for many of UNWTO’s actions and initiatives around the world.

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