Peru will harness the power of UN Tourism’s data analysis and management tools to support growth and opportunity in rural destinations.

UN Tourism joined with the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism of Vietnam to host the First Conference on Tourism for Rural Development in the historic town of Hoi An. The event brought together government officials, international and regional financial institutions, development agencies, tourism professionals, rural community leaders, researchers and NGOs to explore policies and strategies to maximize the role of tourism in progressing development in rural areas.

UN Tourism, in collaboration with the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism of Vietnam, will convene global and local leaders, policy makers, and industry pioneers for the First Conference on Tourism for Rural Development (Hoi An, Viet Nam 9-11 December).

Over 260 villages from more than 60 countries representing the five regions of the world have put themselves forward for the 2024 edition of Best Tourism Villages by UN Tourism 2024. This marks the highest volume of applications ever received in the past four editions.

UNWTO has launched the world’s biggest digital hub for communities focused on rural tourism. The ‘TourismConnectsRural’ platform will boost collaboration across the Best Tourism Villages by UNWTO Network, connecting around 200 rural destinations in every global region.

From Austria to Vietnam, 32 destinations from all around the world have been named as ‘Best Tourism Villages 2022’ by the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO).

The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) has launched a new competition to identify the best ideas that will help rural communities recover from the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Global Rural Tourism Startup Competition will also support the entrepreneurs and enterprises that can help rural communities seize the economic and social opportunities that will come as tourism restarts.

Tourism leaders from 18 countries met for the 14th annual UNWTO Asia-Pacific Executive Training Programme. In line with UNWTO’s Year of Tourism and Rural Development, the three-day programme focused on sharing knowledge and good practice relating to harnessing the power of the sector to create opportunities for all outside of big cities.

The 2020 edition of World Tourism Day will celebrate the unique role that tourism plays in providing opportunities outside of big cities and preserving cultural and natural heritage all around the world.

London, United Kingdom, 5 November 2019 – Tourism leaders from across the public and private sectors came together at the World Travel Market (WTM) in London for a high-level discussion on tourism’s role in rural development, the challenges and the opportunities. The Ministers’ Summit on “Technology for Rural Development”, hosted by the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) in partnership with WTM, focused on tourism innovation and technology and their place in empowering rural communities.