Foreign tourists experience making "bánh xèo" in Trà Quế vegetable village, Hội An City, Quảng Nam Province. VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI – The United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UN Tourism) has extended an invitation to its member states, including Việt Nam, to nominate up to eight villages for the “Best Tourism Village” awards 2025 through their respective national tourism administrations (NTAs).

Applications will close on May 19, with the selected villages announced in the third quarter of this year during a UN Tourism event.

Zurab Pololikashvili, Secretary-General of UN Tourism, said the “Best Tourism Village” awards celebrate rural destinations where tourism serves as a catalyst for opportunities, cultural preservation, and sustainable growth.

By harnessing their unique assets, he noted, these villages would create opportunities for economic growth, safeguard local traditions, and promote a better quality of life for their communities.

“We are eager to welcome those villages that represent the role of rural tourism as a transformative force for good”, Pololikashvili stressed.

This year, an external Advisory Board composed of global experts will evaluate applications based on nine key areas. These include Cultural and Natural Resources; the 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.

So far, UN Tourism has granted awards to 130 villages globally, including three from Việt Nam, namely Thái Hải Village in the northern province of Thái Nguyên in 2022, Tân Hoa Village in the central province of Quảng Bình in 2023, and Trà Quế vegetable village in the central province of Quảng Nam in 2024. - VNA/VNS