The Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Tourism of Colombia (MinCIT) is pleased to invite, for the second consecutive year, all municipal entities to participate in the prestigious international competition promoted by UN Tourism, formerly known as the World Tourism Organization. The call, aimed at the Best Tourism Villages program, aims to highlight those towns where tourism plays a fundamental role in the preservation of culture, traditions, diversity, the generation of opportunities and the protection of biodiversity.
Colombia, as a member state of UN Tourism, will once again select eight towns to participate in this contest through a public call, available to municipal entities, which will be open until March 30. The nominated municipalities must have less than 15,000 inhabitants and be located in environments with traditional activities such as agriculture, forestry or livestock. Additionally, they must reflect the values and lifestyle of their communities through tourism.
“We look for rural tourist destinations that reflect the natural and cultural wealth of Colombia, The Country of Beauty, that preserve and promote rural and community values, products and lifestyles, and that have a clear commitment to innovation and sustainability in all its dimensions,” stated the Vice Minister of Tourism, Arturo Bravo.
Interested municipal entities may apply by completing the corresponding form, where they must detail their tourism management process in relation to the criteria established by UN Tourism for the awarding of the award. These criteria include aspects such as cultural and natural resources, promotion and conservation of cultural resources, economic, social and environmental sustainability, tourism development and value chain integration, tourism governance and prioritization, infrastructure and connectivity, as well as health and safety.
In addition to the form, municipal entities must send the census certificate of inhabitants of the municipality issued by DANE and a presentation in Power Point format that details the actions developed by the municipality in matters of rural tourism and sustainability, to the tourism-cultural email. @mincit.gov.co.
The technical team of the Vice Ministry of Tourism will be in charge of compiling and evaluating the applications received, announcing the eight towns selected to represent Colombia in this international competition on April 24, 2024.
Being recognized as one of UN Tourism’s Best Towns for Rural Tourism means being part of a global network with more than 100 destinations; with benefits that include training, exchange of experiences and opportunities with public and private sector partners committed to promoting tourism as a driving force for rural development. Filandia, Quindío would have already been awarded this recognition in 2023.