Two Moroccan villages have been selected among the “Best tourist villages in the world 2022”, according to a list unveiled on Wednesday by the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO).
These are Ksar Elkhorbat and Moulay Bouzerktoune, two villages that conceive of tourism as a driver of development, opening up new prospects in terms of job creation and income while contributing to the preservation and promotion of values and of local production, says a UNWTO press release.
The Organization also highlights the villages’ commitment to innovation and sustainability in all its dimensions – economic, social and environmental – and to the choice to develop tourism in line with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
In 2022, a total of 32 villages from 18 countries from all five regions of the world have received the distinction. The evaluation was carried out by an independent advisory committee according to a series of criteria covering in particular the areas of cultural and natural resources, the promotion and conservation of cultural resources, sustainability, economic, social and environmental, governance and priority given tourism, health, hygiene and safety.
Welcoming the announcement, UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili underlined that “for rural people everywhere, tourism can truly make a difference by creating jobs, supporting local businesses and sustaining traditions alive. The distinction of ‘Best Tourism Villages by UNWTO’ shows the capacity of the sector to contribute to the diversification of the economy and to offer opportunities for all outside the big cities”.
In the 2022 edition, there were a total of 136 candidate villages presented by 57 UNWTO Member States (each Member State could present a maximum of three villages as candidates).