From December 9-11, 2024, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, in coordination with the United Nations Tourism Organization (UN Tourism) and the People's Committee of Quang Nam province, organized the First International Conference on Rural Tourism and the Second Annual Meeting of the UN Tourism Best Village Network in Quang Nam.
Promoting rural development through tourism
Within the framework of the First International Conference on Rural Tourism, the Second Annual Meeting of the UN Tourism Best Villages Network took place on the morning of December 9.
Speaking at the program, Ms. Zoritsa Urosevic, Deputy Secretary-General of UN Tourism expressed her delight that Hoi An - a city rich in history and culture - is the venue for the second annual meeting of the Best Tourism Villages Network of UN Tourism.
Ms. Zoritsa Urosevic affirmed that this meeting will pave the way for greater and better achievements. UN Tourism encourages member countries to actively participate in discussions, contribute ideas, solutions, experiences and commit to developing the Network more successfully in the future, continuing to be a strong driving force for sustainable development of rural areas.
The Best Tourist Villages Network has been growing steadily since its establishment in 2021. To date, the Network includes 254 villages from 59 countries across 5 regions, of which 184 villages have been recognized as Best Tourist Villages and 70 villages have participated in the Upgrading Program. In 2024, Tra Que Vegetable Village in Hoi An City became the latest representative of Vietnam to join the UN Tourism World's Best Tourist Villages Network.
Opportunities to promote rural tourism
The highlight of this program is the First International Conference on Rural Tourism taking place on December 10. This is the first global conference of UN Tourism on rural tourism.
The event will be attended by more than 300 delegates from 50 countries worldwide, representing national and local tourism management agencies of UN Tourism member countries and Vietnam, international organizations, the tourism community and the private sector.
With the aim of identifying challenges, sharing good practices and promoting rural tourism cooperation, the Conference will discuss and orient policies for sustainable rural tourism development, ensuring equitable distribution of tourism benefits, job creation, protection of natural and cultural resources, social inclusion, empowerment of local communities and vulnerable groups, including women, youth and indigenous people.
The conference focused on three main themes highlighting the importance and contributions of tourism in promoting rural development: National and local policies to promote rural tourism; Engaging and empowering local communities in tourism development; Developing tourism products, promoting innovation and facilitating market access for rural destinations.
The program brings together prestigious speakers from tourism management agencies of UN Tourism member countries, villages belonging to the UN Tourism Best Tourism Villages Network, international organizations such as the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the Pacific Asia Tourism Association (PATA), the World Bank (WB), the Asian Development Bank (ADB), the Mekong Tourism Coordinating Office (MTCO), tourism experts from the private sector, scholars and researchers in the field of rural tourism.
Previously, Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Ho An Phong said that Vietnam was chosen by UN Tourism as the host of this important event because it is an active member of UN Tourism; has strengths and potential to develop rural tourism. Vietnam has successfully organized many international events.
“Hosting the conference is also an opportunity for us to raise awareness of the potential and strengths and promote interest in developing rural tourism in Vietnam; contribute to job creation and ensure equitable distribution of tourism benefits; develop sustainable tourism, towards Net Zero…”, Deputy Minister Ho An Phong emphasized.
According to the People's Committee of Quang Nam province, this is an international event of special importance to enhance the image and position of Vietnamese tourism in general and Quang Nam province in particular.
The Provincial People's Committee has requested relevant Departments, Boards, branches, agencies, units and localities to focus on implementing assigned tasks according to Plan No. 8845 of the Provincial People's Committee.
According to the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism, this is a “golden” opportunity for the Vietnamese tourism industry to promote its image, brand and especially the potential and strengths of Vietnam’s rural tourism to international friends. Through this, it will create momentum for rural tourism to develop into an important product, contributing to increasing the attractiveness and competitiveness of Vietnam’s tourism in the region and the world.
