Among the 20 villages that will enter the UNWTO's "Upgrade Programme", there are two villages from Turkey. One of them is Cumalıkızık in Bursa and the other is Anıtlı village in Mardin Midyat.
Best Tourism Village; It is selected on the basis of nine area criteria for rural destinations that embrace tourism as a driver of development and new opportunities for jobs and income, while protecting and promoting community-based values and products.
UNWTO Secretary General Zurab Pololikashvili stated that “The Best Tourism Villages initiative is the flagship project of the UNWTO Tourism for Rural Development Programme. He said that it is being looked at whether it is a rural tourism destination with cultural and natural assets, which preserves and supports rural and community-based values, products and lifestyle, and has a clear commitment to innovation.
The "Best Tourism Villages' Upgrade Programme", where Cumalıkızık in Bursa and Anıtlı village in Mardin Midyat were taken from Turkey, is also applied for some villages that do not fully meet the recognition criteria. These villages are supported to eliminate the deficiencies identified in the evaluation process.
The “Best Tourism Villages” award ceremony will be held on February 27-28, 2023 in AlUla, Saudi Arabia.
Birgi chosen by UNWTO
Birgi, the village of Ödemiş in İzmir, was included in the UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List in 2012. Official negotiations continue for the village to be registered as an official protected area.
The village, which is a prominent town in terms of culture and faith tourism, enables the development of alternative tourism types such as winter, plateau, camp and caravan with its geographical location and climate.
Birgi is considered the heart of silk production and weaving. The famous crepe fabric has been produced here since the 15th century.
Another intangible cultural value of the village is needlework. After the village is inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List, it aims to develop rural tourism to enable economic growth and entrepreneurship, create employment and strengthen society while preserving cultural and natural resources.
Birgi is one of the first settlements in Turkey to develop an urban conservation plan. In 1996, the village was registered as an official protected archaeological site by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism (KTB).
