UN Names the Best Tourism Villages in the World 2025: From Japan to Portugal

The UN Tourism Organization has announced the list of winners of its Best Tourism Villages 2025 program — 52 villages across 29 countries recognized as models of sustainable, culturally aware, and socially responsible tourism.

Among this year’s honorees are Koyasan (Japan), Chamarel (Mauritius), Bled (Slovenia), Carlos Pellegrini (Argentina), and Masfout (UAE). These destinations gained international recognition for using tourism as a tool to preserve heritage, empower local communities, and promote rural development.

What the UN Tourism Initiative Represents

The Best Tourism Villages program, launched in 2021, is part of the UN Tourism for Rural Development Programme. Its goal is to promote a responsible model of travel — one that helps protect cultural diversity, traditional crafts, and natural landscapes instead of depleting them.

The selection of villages was conducted by an independent advisory board based on nine criteria, including:

Preservation of cultural and natural heritage,

Economic and environmental sustainability,

Development of infrastructure and safety,

Integration of tourism into local value chains,

Management and strategic planning.

Three Key Tracks of the Program

Best Tourism Villages by UN Tourism — highlights rural destinations demonstrating outstanding achievements in sustainable tourism and cultural identity preservation.

Upgrade Programme — helps villages that did not make the main list improve their performance and prepare for the next selection cycle.

Best Tourism Villages Network — connects participants, experts, and public and private organizations, creating a global platform for sharing best practices.

Geographic Diversity of the 2025 Winners

The 2025 list spans Europe, Asia, the Middle East, Africa, and Latin America. Examples include:

Asuka and Shodoshima in Japan,

Mértola and Loriga in Portugal,

Pemuteran in Indonesia,

Kandelous and Soheili in Iran,

Kolochava and Synevyrska Polyana in Ukraine,

Neot Semadar in Israel,

Khinalig in Azerbaijan,

Muju Village in South Korea.

Experts paid special attention to destinations where tourism has become a driver of economic resilience: locals are preserving crafts, developing eco-tourism, forming cooperatives, and maintaining a balance with nature.

Villages “On the Path to Excellence”

In addition to the main winners, 20 villages were included in the Upgrade Programme — among them Evolène (Switzerland), Montagnana (Italy), Lolol (Chile), and Omonkhona (Uzbekistan). These communities will receive consulting and technical support to further develop tourism on a sustainable basis.

What’s Next

The next call for applications for the Best Tourism Villages 2026 program will open in the first quarter of 2026. It’s an opportunity for new destinations to demonstrate how tourism can be a source of inspiration — not a threat — to nature and culture.

UN Tourism:

“These villages show that sustainable tourism is not an abstract concept, but a real tool for development — helping people remain in their regions while building a future rooted in tradition and respect for the land.”