The Ministry of Tourism participates as a National Entity in the World Tourism Organization (WTO) competition, entitled «Best Tourism Villages», for the nomination of three (3) villages or municipal communities in Greece, with a population of up to 15.000 inhabitants, which promote the agritourism. This competition has three pillars: a) the awarding of the «best tourism village» label, b) the participation in the upgrading programme of those candidates who did not succeed in obtaining the label and c) the participation of the candidates in the coordination and good practice network.
To this end, the Minister of State for Special Forms of Tourism, Mrs. Sofia Zacharaki, sent letters to all the regional governors of Greece, informing them about the competition and asking their respective municipalities to submit a nomination file to the Ministry of Tourism by 9 August 2021. Subsequently, the Ministry of Tourism, through a special working group to be set up by the Deputy Minister Mrs. Sophia Zacharaki, will evaluate the nominations and will propose by the end of August three (3) villages or municipalities of Greece to the World Tourism Organization.
This initiative by the leadership of the Ministry of Tourism aims to enhancing the role of rural tourism in the development and conservation of rural villages, in harmony with their associated villages, landscapes, knowledge systems, diversity, local values and activities. It also aims to promote innovative and transformative approaches to develop tourism in rural destinations, which in turn contribute to the realisation of sustainable development and its pillars (economic, social, environmental).
In a statement, the Deputy Minister of Tourism, Mrs. Sophia Zacharaki, stressed that «in the direction of the development of rural tourism in Greece, as a special form of tourism, we participate as a country in the World Tourism Organization's competition entitled “Best Tourism Villages” and we highlight destinations and villages of our country, which have as a target a balanced rural tourism development model».
