Several tourist villages in Indonesia have been awarded by the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), and among them is Penglipuran Tourist Village in Bali, which has been selected as one of the UNWTO Best Tourism Villages for 2023. This recognition was presented to Penglipuran Tourist Village during the third edition of the “Best Tourism Villages by UNWTO” event held in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, on Thursday (19/10/2023). Out of 260 candidates and over 60 countries, this village in the Bangli Regency was chosen.
Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy Sandiaga Uno welcomed the UNWTO’s recognition of tourist villages in Indonesia, expressing optimism that it would inspire other tourist villages in the country to optimize their natural resources, human resources, and cultural heritage. He stated, “This aligns with the mission of the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy for equitable economic-based revival.”
The ministry continues to advocate for high-quality and sustainable tourism, including village tourism. Other Awarded Tourist Villages Besides Penglipuran Village, three other tourist villages in Indonesia are part of the UNWTO’s upgrade program: Bilebante Village in West Nusa Tenggara (NTB), Pela Village in East Kalimantan, and Taro Village in Bali. “These three Indonesian tourist villages are among the 20 mentoring villages being prepared to become UNWTO’s Best Tourism Villages in the next period,” said Sandiaga. These villages are part of the UNWTO Best Tourism Villages Upgrade Programme, which includes villages with significant potential from around the world.
The Best Tourism Village initiative is designed to identify exemplary villages that have successfully developed tourism, empowered local communities, and preserved local traditions and heritage. The upgrade program, on the other hand, provides support from UNWTO and its partners to villages that nearly meet the criteria for being Best Tourism Villages but fall short in some assessment aspects.
View this post on Instagram
Impact of the Best Tourism Villages Award
Impact of the Best Tourism Villages Award As of 2023, 190 villages have become members of the Best Tourism Village Network, with the aim of creating the world’s largest global village network. “The success of Nglanggeran Village in 2021 and Penglipuran Village in 2023 in receiving the Best Tourism Villages award is international recognition of the quality of tourist villages in Indonesia,” said Sandiaga.
The management of Penglipuran Tourist Village, led by I Wayan Budiarta and accompanied by the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy’s Secretary-General Ni Wayan Giri Adnyani, received the certificate directly from the UNWTO Secretary-General. “The UNWTO Best Tourism Village award is a remarkable international recognition of the development of Penglipuran Tourist Village,” said I Wayan Budiarta. He emphasized that this recognition is not only for Penglipuran but also for the broader Indonesian tourism sector. This achievement is expected to further elevate Penglipuran Tourist Village on the international stage.
“This award serves as motivation for us, the Penglipuran community, to continue preserving our traditions and culture to ensure the sustainability of tourism in Penglipuran Tourist Village,” he added. The nomination of tourist villages was undertaken by the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy through a rigorous selection process based on the winners of the Indonesian Tourism Village Awards (Anugerah Desa Wisata Indonesia, or ADWI), coupled with intensive guidance. This ensured that the tourist villages deserving of international recognition were put forward to the UNWTO.
Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy Sandiaga Uno stated, “This award will boost the confidence of Penglipuran Tourist Village, which has received international recognition, and it can serve as an example to other tourist villages, encouraging them to participate in the world-level selection process to advance the tourism and creative economy sectors in Indonesia,” said Ni Wayan Giri Adnyani.
