Panorama of Tan Hoa village. Photo: Provided by Quang Binh Department of Tourism

On October 19, Quang Binh province officially announced that Tan Hoa tourist village received the award for the best tourist village in the world in 2023.

Accordingly, on October 19, within the framework of the 25th General Assembly of the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) held in Samarkand (Uzbekistan), the tourist villages that won the Best Tourism Villages award in 2023 were announced, in which Tan Hoa tourist village was honored to be named.

Tan Hoa is honored to be named the best tourist village in the world. Photo: Provided by Quang Binh Department of Tourism

According to the results announcement from UNWTO, in 2023, there will be 260 tourist villages from 60 countries around the world participating in the Best Tourist Village Award of the World Tourism Organization UNWTO. Vietnam has 4 tourist villages participating from the provinces of Quang Binh, Son La, Lai Chau and Hoa Binh.

Among them, the Tan Hoa Weather Adaptive Tourism Village model in Quang Binh province is the only representative of Vietnam selected by UNWTO along with several other villages in the world for this year's award.

Tan Hoa's achievement of this prestigious award from a prestigious world tourism organization is a solid foundation to help Tan Hoa confidently step out into the world and gradually become a key tourist center in the Northwest region of Quang Binh.

According to the Quang Binh Provincial Department of Tourism, the UNWTO World Tourism Organization's Best Tourist Village Award is a global initiative that aims to highlight villages where tourism preserves and promotes rural and community-based values, products and lifestyles, while promoting innovation and sustainability.

The UNWTO World Tourism Organization's Best Tourist Village Award is an initiative launched in 2021 as part of the UNWTO Tourism for Rural Development Programme, which seeks to make tourism a driver of rural development and well-being.

As of 2022, more than 70 villages from nearly 40 countries have been recognized as Best Tourist Villages by UNWTO. These villages are examples of rural tourism destinations that offer authentic and diverse experiences to visitors, while creating opportunities and benefits for local people and the environment.

Tan Hoa village with its wild beauty. Photo: Provided by Quang Binh Department of Tourism

The initiative has three pillars: recognition, upgrading and networking. The recognition pillar awards villages that meet criteria of excellence in cultural and natural assets, rural and community-based values, innovation and sustainability. The upgrading pillar provides support and guidance to villages that need to improve certain aspects of their tourism development. The networking pillar connects all villages participating in the initiative and facilitates the exchange of good practices, knowledge and resources.

Tan Hoa Commune is located in a basin, surrounded by limestone mountains, which is considered the "water valley", the "flood navel" of the mountainous district of Minh Hoa, so every year, Tan Hoa is the first commune to be flooded. After the historic flood of 2010, in 2011, the people of Tan Hoa commune had the initiative to make rafts to "live with the flood". As of 2023, nearly 620 floating houses have been built in Tan Hoa commune, ensuring that 100% of households can adapt, be safe and live with the flood.

According to the Quang Binh Department of Tourism, tourism activities in Tan Hoa have developed remarkably in recent years, with the total number of visitors welcomed and served in the 2013-2023 period being 63,115.

Laodong.vn