Two Moroccan villages have been selected among the “Best Tourism Villages” in the world for the year 2022, according to a list unveiled Wednesday by the World Tourism Organization (WTO).
The two award-winning Moroccan villages are Ksar Elkhorbat, located 50 km east of Tinghir in the lower Todra Valley, and Moulay Bouzerktoune, a small fishing village located on the western Atlantic coast in the province of Essaouira.
Welcoming the news, UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili said: “For rural communities everywhere, tourism can be a true game-changer in providing jobs, supporting local businesses, and keeping traditions alive. The Best Tourism Villages by UNWTO showcase the power of the sector to drive economic diversification and create opportunities for all outside of big cities.”
The WTO also highlighted the commitment of the villages to innovation and sustainability in all its dimensions – economic, social, and environmental – and to the choice to develop tourism in accordance with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
In 2022, a total of 32 villages from 18 countries across the five world regions were awarded the recognition. The villages were evaluated by an independent Advisory Board based on a set of criteria covering various areas including cultural and natural resources, economic, environmental, and social sustainability, tourism development, and value chain integration.