Two Moroccan Villages Named Among World’s Best Tourism Destinations by UNWTO

The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) has unveiled its list of the best tourist villages in the world for the second year. In total, 32 villages chosen by the UNWTO. Zell am See and Wagrain (Austria) occupy the first two places. They are followed by Puqueldón (Chile), Dazhai and Jingzhu (China), Choachí (Colombia), Aguarico and Angochagua (Ecuador), Choke Mountains Ecovillage (Ethiopia) and Mestia (Georgia). Then come Kfar Kama (Israel), Sauris-Zahre and Isola del Giglio (Italy), Umm Qais (Jordan), Creel and El Fuerte (Mexico), Ksar Elkhorbat and Moulay Bouzerktoune (Morocco), Lamas, PeruRaqchi (Peru), Castelo Novo (Portugal), Pyeongsa-ri (South Korea) and Rasinari (Romania). Villages like AlUla Old Town (Saudi Arabia), Bohinj (Slovenia), Rupit, Alquézar and Guadalupe (Spain), Murten and Andermatt (Switzerland), Birgi (Turkey) and Thái Hải (Vietnam) are also on the list of the best villages in the world.

To establish this list, the UNWTO took into account several criteria such as: economic, social and environmental sustainability, the level of tourism development, or the level of health, hygiene and safety. It received 136 applications from 57 member states, each country having presented three candidates. "The ’Best Tourism Villages’ distinction shows the ability of tourism to contribute to economic diversification, and to offer opportunities for all, outside of major cities," says the UNWTO.