UN Tourism Names 52 Best Tourism Villages for 2025; No Indian Destination on the List

UN Tourism has announced the winners of its fifth annual “Best Tourism Villages” awards, recognising 52 rural destinations worldwide for innovation, sustainability, and cultural preservation. The awards, revealed in Huzhou City, China, honour villages from 65 member states that have successfully promoted rural development through responsible tourism. Notably, no Indian village was included in this year’s list.

Celebrating Sustainable Rural Tourism

The “Best Tourism Villages 2025” awards celebrate communities that blend heritage preservation with modern sustainability. Selected from over 270 applications, the 52 chosen villages represent the best examples of inclusive rural tourism across Africa, Asia, the Americas, Europe, and the Middle East. Additionally, 20 villages joined the “Upgrade Programme,” bringing the total number of new entrants to 72. With these additions, the “Best Tourism Villages Network” now comprises 319 destinations globally, making it the largest platform of its kind.

Objectives and Selection Criteria

Launched in 2021 under the UN Tourism for Rural Development Programme, the initiative evaluates villages on nine parameters, including environmental and social sustainability, cultural conservation, economic resilience, infrastructure, and tourism governance. The three core components—”Best Tourism Villages Recognition”, “Upgrade Programme”, and “Network Platform”—together aim to build a global knowledge base of rural excellence and empower communities to create livelihood opportunities through tourism.

Highlights from the 2025 Winners

This year’s list features a diverse range of destinations such as Bled (Slovenia), Pemuteran (Indonesia), Muju Village (Republic of Korea), Koyasan (Japan), and Ezcaray (Spain). From Asia to Europe, these villages have demonstrated how cultural heritage, nature conservation, and local entrepreneurship can coexist. New members of the Upgrade Programme include Dawa Village (China), Quintandona (Portugal), and Brihuega (Spain), which will receive UN Tourism mentorship to meet recognition standards in the coming years.

Exam Oriented Facts

• UN Tourism announced 52 villages as part of its “Best Tourism Villages 2025” initiative.
• The awards were presented in Huzhou City, China, marking the fifth edition of the programme.
• The global “Best Tourism Villages Network” now includes 319 destinations across 65 member states.
• India had no entry this year; earlier recognitions include Pochampalli (2021) and Dhordo (2023).

India’s Absence and Future Prospects

Despite its rich rural heritage and growing focus on community-based tourism, India missed out on the 2025 list. Experts suggest that better documentation, sustainability benchmarks, and local governance integration are needed for stronger representation. Previous Indian honourees—Pochampalli in Telangana and Dhordo in Gujarat—set promising examples of craft-based and desert tourism. With the next round of submissions scheduled for early 2026, India’s rural tourism sector has another opportunity to gain global recognition under the UN Tourism framework.