The towns of Ollantaytambo and Raqchi (Cusco region), as well as Lamas (San Martin region), have been recognized as Best Tourism Villages by the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), for being competitive destinations and models of tourism sustainability, Foreign Trade and Tourism Minister Luis Fernando Helguero has reported.
Helguero made these remarks while inviting travelers to explore the magic, tradition, and nature of these destinations during the long Holy Week break.
The three towns received the UNWTO recognition thanks to their efforts to preserve their cultural and natural values, promote the sustainable development of tourism, and turn it into a development engine for the good of their communities.
By doing so, the UNWTO seeks to recognize these towns as outstanding examples of rural tourism destinations.
For this reason, the evaluation considered the commitment of the community and its authorities to the preparation of strategies that allow tourism development in towns.
The first destination to win the award was Ollantaytambo. It was selected from among 170 candidates from 75 countries, in December 2021.
At the end of 2022, Lamas and Raqchi obtained the same recognition from among over 130 candidates from 57 countries.
“The UNWTO has identified competitive destinations in our towns as models of tourism sustainability, which provide a safe and orderly environment,” the minister stated.
“The commitment of the citizenry and the three levels of Government is important, so that this recognition encourages us to achieve better economic development for the rewarded communities,” he added.