Ollantaytambo —an Incan city located in Cusco’s Urubamba province— has received the trophy that recognizes it as one of the Best Tourism Villages in the world, the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Tourism (Mincetur) has reported.

As it is known, Ollantaytambo was selected as one of the ‘Best Tourism Villages’ 2021 by the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) in December last year during a ceremony held in the Spanish city of Madrid.

With this recognition, Ollantaytambo stood out as the only district that represented Peru among a total of 44 villages from 32 countries.

Every village was selected after a tough competition in which innovative approach and contribution to tourism were taken into consideration.

Deputy Tourism Minister Julia Isabel Alvarez Novoa, who attended the trophy awarding ceremony together with Ollantaytambo District Mayor Jose Rios, explained that the “Best Tourism Village” recognition is granted by the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO).

Thus, the UNWTO seeks to recognize villages around the world that stand out for their commitment to the promotion and conservation of their cultural heritage and to sustainable development through tourism.

“This trophy means a lot to Cusco and to Peru. The villages that are committed to making tourism an engine of development and well-being for their citizens are being recognized through it (the trophy),” Alvarez remarked.

Ollantaytambo is an architectural gem that is on the way to Machu Picchu —one of the New Seven Wonders of the World as well as a Cultural and Natural Heritage of Humanity.