India's Dhordo Named Among UNWTO'S Best Tourism Villages 2023 (image:twitter/Bhupender Yadav)
India”s Dhordo village secured a spot in the renowned list of 54 best tourism villages announced by the World Tourism Organization on Thursday. Situated in the Kutch district in Gujarat, Dhordo hosted the first Tourism Working Group meeting under India”s G20 presidency.
The announcement came during the ongoing United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) General Assembly in Samarkand, Uzbekistan. The 25th session of the Assembly is taking place from 16-20 October.
The accolade recogonizes villages that are leading in nurturing rural areas and preserving landscapes, cultural diversity, local values, and culinary traditions, UNWTO said in a statement.
Meet the 54 #BestTourismVillages by UNWTO of the 2023!
Congratulations to these outstanding destinations for making tourism the ally of rural development.
✨Creating jobs
✨Ensuring sustainability
✨Protecting our heritage🔗https://t.co/qTBUDFOl3i@BTV_UNWTO 🌟 pic.twitter.com/gpcd8q40tf
— World Tourism Organization (@UNWTO) October 19, 2023
“Tourism can be a powerful force for inclusivity, empowering local communities and distributing benefits across regions,” UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvil said. “This initiative acknowledges villages that have harnessed tourism as a catalyst for their development and well-being,” he added.
In this third edition, 54 villages were selected from about 260 applications; furthermore, an addition of 20 villages have joined the Upgrage programme, together constitutes UNWTO Best Tourism Villages Network. India”s Madla village is part of the Upgrade Programme. Madla islocated in the Panna district of Madhya Pradesh.
Best Tourism Villages initiative launched in 2021, is part of the UNWTO Tourism for Rural Development Programme. It aims to advance development and inclusion in rural areas, tackle depopulation, promote innovation and value chain integration through tourism and encourage sustainable practices.
Like in the previous edition, villagers are analysed under nine key areas, such as 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, and health, safety, and security, the statement added.
The call for submissions for the fourth edition will take place in the first months of 2024, UNWTO said.
