Which are the best towns in the world for tourism, according to the UNWTO

“Pueblear” is a verb that is frequently used in these countries to define the action of going out to visit various towns or rural locations as a form of tourism.

And this week, the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) released a list of the 32 best towns for tourism.

In other words, what are the best destinations to “populate” on the planet.

And eight of them are in Latin America: Choachí in Colombia, Aguarico and Angochagua in Ecuador, Lamas and Raqchi in Peru, Creel and El Fuerte in Mexico and Puqueldón in Chile.

Spain was the country with the largest number of towns chosen from this list, with three: Rupit, Alquézar and Guadalupe.

Different locations in Austria, Vietnam, China, Israel and Italy also achieved a place in the ranking.

According to the UNWTO criteria, the selection of the 32 towns -out of almost 136 finalists- was based on their “commitment to innovation and sustainability in all its aspects -economic, social and environmental”.

“In rural communities everywhere, tourism can be a decisive instrument to create jobs, help local businesses and keep traditions alive,” said the UNWTO Secretary General, Zurab Pololikashvili.

How the selection was made

According to what was indicated by the UNWTO itself, which is a specialized agency that belongs to the United Nations, each member country could send up to three candidates.

After a selection process -which took into account aspects such as the promotion and conservation of cultural resources, economic, social and environmental sustainability, tourism development and health and safety- 136 finalists were chosen, of which in the end they ended up choosing the 32 towns favourites:

Next February, precisely in one of the chosen towns –Al-Ula, in Saudi Arabia-, the awards will be given to the favored destinations in a special ceremony.

In addition, another 20 towns that will be part of the UNWTO improvement program were announced so that they have the option of joining the official list in the coming years.

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For the spokesman for the department of Cundinamarca, in Colombia, where the municipality of Choachí is located, the selection is a recognition of the work on sustainable tourism that has been carried out in this town.

“This recognition that shows Choachí as an example of innovation, sustainability and inclusion is very gratifying”, said Luis Edilberto Chaves, from the Cundinamarca governorate.

For his part, the director of the Spanish tourism office in the United Kingdom, Manuel Butler, celebrated that his country had the largest number of recognized towns.

“We are delighted that the UNWTO has placed Spain as the country with the most appearances on its list. Our objective is to promote community tourism throughout Spain and we are delighted with the international recognition,” Butler told the British newspaper. Guardian.

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