The UNWTO announced the list of Best Tourism Villages 2023 at a meeting in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, on October 19.

Tan Hoa is the only from Vietnam among the 260 applicants from 60 countries seeking the title, said Vice Chairman of the Quang Binh People’s Committee Ho An Phong at a press conference held in Dong Hoi city the same day.

He noted that winning the title is just the first step of tourism development in Tan Hoa. It is a chance for this locality to gradually become a bright spot of Vietnam’s tourism.

The Vietnam National Authority of Tourism under the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism said Tan Hoa was recognised for its diverse and outstanding cultural and natural resources, as well as its commitments and actions to comply with the sustainable tourism principles.

Tan Hoa, a mountainous commune in Minh Hoa district, is blessed with breathtaking natural landscapes and special cultural identities. In the past, it used to be frequently hit by floods due to its location.

Over the past years, local residents have engaged in tourism activities to help sustainably reduce poverty. With support from businesses, Tan Hoa has become a weather-adaptive tourism village with many unique and typical tourism products.

Launched in 2021, the Best Tourism Villages by UNWTO initiative is part of the UNWTO Tourism for Rural Development Programme. The programme works to foster development and inclusion in rural areas, combat depopulation, advance innovation and value chain integration through tourism, and encourage sustainable practices.

The villages are evaluated under nine key areas, namely cultural and natural resources; promotion and conservation of cultural resources; economic sustainability; social sustainability; environmental sustainability; tourism development and value chain integration; governance and prioritisation of tourism; infrastructure and connectivity; and health, safety, and security./.VNA