Filenews 20 December 2022
Kalopanayiotis and Pissouri are among the villages of the Upgrade Program of the United Nations World Tourism Organization, with the aim of joining the "Best Tourist Villages".
On Monday, the UN announced 32 villages from 18 countries around the world labelled "Best Tourist Villages", recognizing rural destinations as a driver of growth and new opportunities for job and income creation, while maintaining and promoting community products and values. The programme also recognises the villages' commitment to innovation and sustainability in all their aspects – economic, social and environmental – and a focus on developing tourism in line with the Sustainable Development Goals.
A total of 136 villages from 57 countries applied for inclusion in this category, for 2022. Of these, 32 were recognized as Best Tourist Villages. Another 20 villages will be included in the Upgrade program, including Kalopanayiotis and Pissouri. The 52 villages will be included in the UNWTO Best Tourism Villages Global Network created in 2021 and bringing together 115 villages from the five continents. The Network provides a number of benefits, including on-site and online training, exchange of good practices, and international brand recognition and awareness.
The Better Tourist Villages initiative is the flagship project of the UNWTO Programme "Tourism for Rural Development". The programme aims to ensure that tourism contributes to reducing regional disparities in income and development, combating desertification, advancing gender equality and empowering women and young people, promoting innovation and digitalisation, improving connectivity, infrastructure, access to finance and investment; innovation in product development and value chain integration, promoting sustainable practices for more efficient use of resources and reducing emissions and waste, and enhancing education and skills. The Programme promotes multilevel governance and collaborations and the active participation and empowerment of communities.
The 32 Best Tourist Villages for 2022 are: Ethiopia: Choke Mountains Ecovillage, Austria: Zell am See, Wagrain, Vietnam: Thái Hải, Georgia: Mestia, Ecuador: Aguarico, Angochagua, Switzerland: Murten, Andermatt, Jordan: um Qais Spain: Rupit, Alquézar, Guadalupe, Israel: Kfar Kama, Italy: Sauris-Zahre, Isola del Giglio, China: Dazhai, Jingzhu, Colombia: Choachí, Morocco: Ksar Elkhorbat, Moulay Bouzerktoune, Mexico: Creel, El Fuerte, South Korea: Pyeongsa-ri, Peru: Lamas, Raqchi, Portugal: Castelo Novo, Romania: Rasinari, Saudi Arabia: AlUla Old Town, Slovenia: Bohinj, Turkey: Birgi, Chile: Puqueldón.
In addition, the villages that are in the Upgrade Program are: Ethiopia: Adaba, Argentina: Trevelin, Bosnia and Herzegovina: Krupa na Vrbasu, India: Khonoma, Israel: Neot Semadar, Italy: Otricoli, Kenya: Il Ngwesi, Colombia: San Vicente de Chucuri, Barichara, Cyprus: Kalopanayiotis, Pissouri, Mauritius: Grand Baie, Paraguay: Bella Vista, Poland: Istebna, Portugal: Ferraria de São João, Cape Verde: Fontainhas, Turkey: Anıtlı, Cumalıkızık.
