SEAToday.com, Jakarta - Two tourist villages in Indonesia, Jatiluwih Tourism Village (Bali) and Wukirsari Tourism Village (Special Region of Yogyakarta) won the “Best Tourism Villages 2024” award from the United Nations World Tourism Organization, UN Tourism. The fourth edition of the award was held in Cartagena de Indias, Colombia, Thursday, November 14, 2024.

Tourism Minister Widiyanti Putri Wardhana welcomed the award from the UN Tourism to two Indonesian tourist villages that successfully became part of the 55 Best Tourism Villages by UN Tourism 2024.

The tourism village development program has become the Ministry of Tourism's flagship program in recent years. This is also in line with the vision of village development as stated in the national priorities of the Asta Cita of the Red and White Cabinet.

“I am very proud and optimistic that this award can be an inspiration for other tourist villages in Indonesia to continue to optimize the potential of natural wealth, cultural heritage, and empowerment of the village community towards more inclusive and sustainable tourism,” said Menpar Widiyanti in her statement in Jakarta, Saturday, November 16, 2024.

Best Tourism Villages is held to capture pilot villages that successfully develop tourism, by empowering local communities, and preserving local traditions and heritage.

Based on data, by 2024, 245 villages have become members of the Best Tourism Villages Network, which is expected to be part of the largest global tourist village network.

The success of Nglanggeran Village in 2021, Penglipuran Village in 2023, as well as Jatiluwih Tourism Village, and Wukirsari Tourism Village in 2024 to be awarded as Best Tourism Villages is a form of international recognition of the quality of tourist villages in Indonesia.

“Of course, we cannot be complacent about this achievement. We at the Ministry of Tourism will continue to strive to strengthen the ecosystem of tourist villages in the country through collective commitment for the advancement of Indonesian tourism,” said Widiyanti.

Jatiluwih Tourism Village, Bali and Wukirsari Tourism Village, Yogyakarta Special Region were successfully selected from around 260 candidates from more than 60 UN Tourism member countries.

Nominees from Indonesia were selected from tourist villages that were certified as sustainable in the 2019-2024 period. This is because the certification assessment indicators represent the nine evaluation areas of Best Tourism Villages. For tourist villages that have not been included as Best Tourism Villages, UN Tourism presents an assistance program in the form of an upgrade program for 20 selected tourist villages.