Guatemala City, by Yaliza Muñoz -AGN- Guatemala will participate with five nominations in the Best Tourism Villages 2023 organized by the World Tourism Organization -UNWTO-.
The Guatemalan Tourism Institute -Inguat- announced the nomination of the following sites for this event:
- San Juan La Laguna, Sololá
- Santa Catarina Palopó, Sololá
- Isla de Flores, Petén (already recognized as a Scenic Town)
- Carmelita, Petén
- San Juan del Obispo, Sacatepéquez
The purpose is to showcase the various tourist attractions offered by the countries belonging to the UNWTO internationally, reinforcing actions to attract tourism in the region.
International Event
According to the UNWTO, more than 70 towns from almost 40 countries are participating in this event, recognized as the best tourist towns. Furthermore, 40 other places are participating in the updating program that seeks to benefit from mentoring and networking opportunities in new venues.
Applications to participate in this event closed on June 23, and the winners are expected to be announced later this year.
Sites
This initiative was launched in 2021 as part of UNWTO’s actions to highlight tourism as a critical factor in rural development and well-being.
Since then, it has been composed of the following areas:
The first category recognizes culturally and naturally vibrant rural destinations. The criteria evaluate resources and initiatives in nine areas covering the three pillars of sustainable development:
- Economic
- Social
- Environmental
The second element is the updating program, which benefits many people, including those who need to meet the recognition criteria. Therefore, these communities receive the necessary support from the UNWTO to address the gaps detected.
Finally, the Best Tourism Villages network seeks to provide spaces for exchanging experiences and best practices among the participants.
