Dozen Iranian villages shortlisted for gloabl registration
The Ministry of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts picked 12 Iranian villages for global registration, Director-General of Domestic Tourism Mostafa Fatemi said.
Fatemi who is also the editor-in-chief of the global registration files added, the ministry conducted an assessment of 100 selected villages for potential global registration, ultimately choosing 50 as candidates for the title of Best Tourism Villages, ILNA reported.
The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) has been working since 2021 to reduce rural-urban migration, empower local communities, women, and youth, and preserve cultural and natural resources in villages. They aim to discourage rural-to-urban migration while promoting sustainable tourism development.
However, in Iran, only 130 villages remain with the initial capabilities for global registration assessment. The rest have either become depopulated or have been renovated with incompatible architecture. Even Masouleh, a unique stair-step village in Iran, missed out on global recognition after becoming a city, with tourism experts saying that it will never again sit on the UNWTO’s global stage.
He named Darak village in Sistan-Baluchestan province, Qaleh Bala village in Semnan Province, Gisoom village in Gilan province, Shaneh Tarash village in Mazandaran province, Moeel village in Ardabil province, Bisheh village in Lorestan province, Pamenar village in Khuzestan province, a village in Markazi province, Marin village in Kohgiluyeh-Boyerahmad province, a village in Khorasan Razavi province, Mesr village in Isfahan province, and Afin village in South Khorasan province, as the final candidates for 2026 whose dossiers will be sent to UN Tourism.
Fatemi said that the UNWTO provided nine main criteria for global registration of rural tourism villages.
Resources and Attractions; Protection of Resources and Attractions; Social Sustainability (involving community and women’s participation and guild formation) are among the factors.
Environmental Sustainability (including waste segregation and management, and conservation of rare animal species); Economic Sustainability (the extent of local economies’ development and the village’s benefit from tourism); Tourism Value Chain (establishment of active tourism facilities); Infrastructure and Communication (roads, railways, and internet); Social and Global Communication (the village’s global interactions); and Health and Safety (presence of healthcare facilities and safety for tourists) are other criteria.
Fatemi emphasized that the final registration files of eight villages will be submitted to the UNWTO by April 2026.
He described the global registration process as multi-stage, including file preparation, assessment, review, and final selection.
Registered villages not only gain international brand and recognition but also receive a certificate and plaque from the UNWTO, acknowledging them as the best villages in the global tourism village list.
Furthermore, these villages gain access to annual training programs and experience-sharing sessions organized by the global network.