Rural Travel’s New Frontier: How the “Best Tourism Villages 2025” Initiative by UN Tourism is Redefining Global Destination Strategy – Travel And Tour World

Report on the UN Tourism “Best Tourism Villages 2025” Initiative and its Contribution to the Sustainable Development Goals

1.0 Introduction

This report analyzes the “Best Tourism Villages 2025” initiative by UN Tourism, a specialized agency of the United Nations. Now in its fifth edition, the program evaluates and recognizes rural destinations that leverage tourism as a driver for sustainable and inclusive development. In 2025, fifty-two villages were officially recognized, and an additional twenty were selected for an Upgrade Programme, expanding the global network to 319 villages. The initiative serves as a practical framework for advancing the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by promoting economic growth, social inclusivity, and environmental preservation within rural communities.

2.0 Alignment with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development

The “Best Tourism Villages” initiative is fundamentally aligned with the 2030 Agenda, using tourism as a vehicle to achieve multiple Sustainable Development Goals. The selection criteria and program objectives directly contribute to key global targets.

2.1 Core Contributions to Specific SDGs

• SDG 1 (No Poverty) & SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth): The initiative directly addresses poverty in rural areas by creating new income streams and employment opportunities through tourism. It promotes economic diversification beyond traditional industries, fostering local entrepreneurship and integrating communities into the tourism value chain.
• SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities): By spotlighting rural and lesser-known destinations, the program helps redistribute tourism revenues and development benefits away from concentrated urban and coastal hubs, thereby reducing regional inequalities.
• SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities): A central tenet of the initiative is the safeguarding of cultural and natural heritage (Target 11.4). Recognized villages must demonstrate a commitment to preserving their unique cultural assets, traditions, and landscapes, making their communities more resilient and sustainable.
• SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production): The program champions sustainable tourism models that minimize environmental impact, conserve natural resources, and promote community-based management. This aligns with the goal of ensuring sustainable consumption and production patterns.
• SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals): The initiative is a multi-stakeholder partnership involving UN Tourism, national and local governments, and community organizations, demonstrating a collaborative approach to achieving sustainable development.

2.2 Evaluation Framework and SDG Metrics

Villages are assessed against nine key areas that function as indicators of their commitment to sustainable development:

• 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

3.0 Analysis of Program Impacts

The recognition conferred by the initiative generates tangible outcomes that advance sustainable development at the local level.

3.1 Economic Impacts

1. Increased Revenue and Investment: Global visibility from the award attracts increased visitor numbers and investment from tour operators and development agencies, contributing to local economic growth (SDG 8).
2. Diversification of Livelihoods: Tourism provides an alternative to traditional sectors like agriculture, creating a more resilient local economy and reducing dependency on limited industries.

3.2 Social and Cultural Impacts

1. Community Empowerment and Inclusivity: The program requires community involvement in tourism planning and governance, ensuring that development is inclusive and benefits are shared equitably (SDG 10).
2. Preservation of Heritage: The recognition incentivizes the protection and promotion of local culture, traditions, and heritage, preventing their erosion and ensuring their transmission to future generations (SDG 11).

3.3 Environmental Impacts

1. Conservation of Natural Assets: Villages must demonstrate strong environmental stewardship. Examples such as Pemuteran, Indonesia, are recognized for marine conservation efforts, directly contributing to SDG 14 (Life Below Water) and SDG 15 (Life on Land).
2. Promotion of Sustainable Practices: The initiative encourages resource management, waste reduction, and other practices that align with responsible consumption and production (SDG 12).

4.0 Challenges and Strategic Recommendations

While the initiative provides a robust framework, recognized villages face challenges in managing the transition to sustainable tourism destinations.

4.1 Identified Challenges

• Infrastructure Deficits: Rural areas may lack the necessary infrastructure, connectivity, and services to support increased tourism without negative impacts.
• Risk of Overtourism: Increased visibility can lead to visitor numbers that exceed the carrying capacity of the community and environment, requiring careful management.
• Cultural Commodification: There is a risk that local culture may become commodified to meet tourist expectations, undermining its authenticity.
• Equitable Access to Recognition: The stringent criteria may pose barriers for villages in regions with limited resources for documentation and governance, as evidenced by the absence of certain countries from the 2025 list.

4.2 Strategic Recommendations for Stakeholders

1. For Governments and Policymakers: Invest in sustainable infrastructure (transport, digital connectivity, waste management) in recognized rural areas. Integrate the “Best Tourism Villages” principles into national and regional development strategies to foster balanced territorial growth.
2. For Destination Managers: Develop and implement robust visitor management plans to prevent overtourism. Prioritize community-led tourism enterprises to ensure benefits remain local and cultural integrity is maintained.
3. For Investors and the Private Sector: Focus on investments that support the long-term sustainability of the destination, including capacity-building programs for local communities and eco-friendly technologies.

5.0 Conclusion

The UN Tourism “Best Tourism Villages 2025” initiative is a significant global effort to operationalize the Sustainable Development Goals within the tourism sector. By shifting the focus from high-volume, consumption-based tourism to a community-centric, sustainable model, the program provides a clear pathway for rural destinations to achieve economic prosperity, social equity, and environmental protection. It serves as a replicable model for how tourism can be a force for positive and lasting development, contributing directly to the 2030 Agenda by ensuring that destinations and their communities flourish in a balanced and sustainable manner.

Analysis of Sustainable Development Goals in the Article

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

1. SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth
   • The article extensively discusses how the “Best Tourism Villages” initiative promotes local economic growth in rural areas. It highlights tourism as a tool for “local economic diversification,” creating “shared prosperity,” and supporting “local livelihoods,” which are central to SDG 8.
2. SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities
   • The initiative focuses on making rural settlements sustainable. It emphasizes the preservation of “cultural and natural assets” and “heritage,” directly aligning with the goal of protecting the world’s cultural and natural heritage. It also supports “territorial cohesion” and “balanced growth” by reducing regional imbalances between urban and rural areas.
3. SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production
   • The core theme of the article is “sustainable tourism.” The initiative’s selection criteria are built around sustainability, including “economic, social, and environmental sustainability.” This promotes sustainable practices in the tourism sector, which is a key aspect of SDG 12.
4. SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals
   • The initiative is a global partnership led by UN Tourism, a specialized UN agency. It involves collaboration between international bodies, national governments, and local communities to achieve sustainable development. The article mentions how the initiative helps destinations attract “tour operators, media features, and independent travellers,” showcasing a multi-stakeholder approach.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

1. Under SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth):
   • Target 8.9: “By 2030, devise and implement policies to promote sustainable tourism that creates jobs and promotes local culture and products.” The entire “Best Tourism Villages” initiative is a policy in action designed to achieve this. The article states it supports “rural communities with strong cultural and natural assets, committed to responsible tourism and inclusive development.”
2. Under SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities):
   • Target 11.4: “Strengthen efforts to protect and safeguard the world’s cultural and natural heritage.” The selection criteria for the villages explicitly include “cultural and natural resources” and “promotion and conservation of cultural resources,” directly addressing this target.
   • Target 11.a: “Support positive economic, social and environmental links between urban, peri-urban and rural areas by strengthening national and regional development planning.” The article explains that the initiative “supports the redistribution of tourism benefits beyond major cities and resorts” and helps “reduce regional imbalances.”
3. Under SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production):
   • Target 12.b: “Develop and implement tools to monitor sustainable development impacts for sustainable tourism…” The initiative’s “robust and multi-dimensional” selection criteria and the “Upgrade Programme” serve as tools to assess, monitor, and improve sustainable tourism practices in rural villages.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

1. For Target 8.9 (Promote sustainable tourism):
   • Implied Economic Indicators: The article implies economic indicators by mentioning outcomes like “increased visitor numbers, higher visitation spend,” and “a boost in tourism interest.” These can be used to measure the economic contribution of tourism.
   • Job Creation: The phrase “support local livelihoods” implies that the number of jobs created or sustained in the tourism sector is a key measure of success.
2. For Target 11.4 (Protect cultural and natural heritage):
   • Number of Recognized Sites: The article provides a direct indicator: the “fifty-two villages” recognized in 2025 and the total network of “three hundred and nineteen globally.” This number quantifies the extent of communities committed to heritage preservation under this program.
   • Qualitative Assessment Criteria: The “nine key areas” used for assessment (e.g., “promotion and conservation of cultural resources,” “environmental sustainability”) serve as a framework of indicators to measure a village’s performance in safeguarding its heritage.
3. For Target 12.b (Monitor sustainable tourism impacts):
   • Number of Participating Villages: The number of villages participating in the main program (52 recognized) and the “Upgrade Programme” (20 selected) acts as an indicator of the adoption of sustainable tourism strategies and monitoring tools.

4. Summary Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: travelandtourworld.com