From the mountain valleys of Southwest China to the water towns of the Yangtze River Delta, the four newly awarded villages highlight the country’s diverse natural landscapes and rich cultural heritage, reflecting the vitality of China’s rural revitalization efforts.

Pololikashvili emphasized that the most important goal of creating the Best Tourism Villages initiative is poverty alleviation. “About 80 percent of the world’s poor live in the rural areas,” he said. “By recognizing villages as tourist destinations, this program creates job opportunities and helps families in rural communities increase income.”

He also pointed out that the Best Tourism Village title is not merely a recognition for the winning village, it also motivates the local government to support the destination’s growth by upgrading its infrastructure.

UN Tourism provides follow-up education to empower the awarded rural communities, and it has created the Best Tourism Village Network to promote peer-to-peer learning and experience exchange, Pololikashvili added.