- The historic town of AlUla was among the villages included in UNWTO’s 2022 list of Best Tourism Villages
- Delegates from around the world will share their insights into sustainable, innovative rural tourism
ALULA, Saudi Arabia, March 11, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — AlUla, the ancient crossroads of civilizations in north-western Arabia that is now emerging as a global cultural and natural heritage destination, will be the site of the first-ever in-person meeting of representatives of Best Tourism Villages from the UNWTO.
AlUla cultural oasis
AlUla old town district
The villages, including the AlUla Old Town District, were recognized in December as part of UNWTO’s Best Tourism Villages (BTV) initiative, “which recognizes villages that are an outstanding example of a rural tourism destination with accredited cultural and natural assets that maintain and promote community-based values, products and lifestyles in rural areas and have a clear commitment to innovation and sustainability in all its aspects – economic, social and environmental.”
UNWTO organized the first edition of the Best Tourism Village Awards Ceremony and BTV Network Meeting in AlUla 12-13 March. The event will be a forum for knowledge sharing on topics such as best practices, community empowerment and public-private partnerships. She will also review the program activities for 2022 and the work plan for 2023.
delegates out Switzerland To Vietnam will congregate at AlUla’s multi-purpose Maraya venue, which holds the Guinness record for the largest mirror-clad building in the world, with 9,740 square meters of space covered in mirrors. The Secretary General of the UNWTO, Zurab Pololikashviliis expected to attend.
The BTV program is based on Saudi Arabia Vision 2030, which aims to triple tourism’s share of the economy to 10%. In 2019, Saudi Arabia introduced e-Visas for citizens of 49 countries, and in February of this year, the kingdom introduced a 96-hour stopover visa.
For the Royal Commission for AlUla (RCU), the meeting reaffirms AlUla’s legacy as a cultural crossroads. A place of collaboration and cultural exchange for millennia, there is a natural synergy between the destination and UNWTO’s BTV programme. AlUla’s addition to the 2022 list is an award in support of RCU’s diligent renewal, cultural rejuvenation and curated heritage site regeneration. RCU is honored not only by the addition of AlUla as BTV, but also by their selection to host this first global BTV gathering.
HE Ahmed Al KhateebMinister of Tourism, Ministry of Tourism of Saudi Arabiacalled: “The Ministry is proud to work with UNWTO to host the 2022 Best Tourism Villages Awards Ceremony and co-convene the first BTV Network meeting in the historic destination of AlUla, one of the villages around the world recognized for its innovative approach to tourism Transforming the tourism sector.”
Mr. Pololikashvili, Secretary General, UNWTO, said: “For rural communities around the world, tourism can be a real game changer in terms of creating jobs, supporting local businesses and keeping traditions alive in cities.”
Closely. Amr AlMadani, CEO of RCU, said: “This gathering of the world’s top tourism villages serves RCU multiple purposes: it allows us to share insights with destinations that share our commitment to sustainable regeneration, it showcases Maraya as a leading conference venue. It also offers our guests the opportunity to visit AlUla including the remarkable site of Hegra which was inscribed in 2008 Saudi Arabia first UNESCO World Heritage Site.”
The full list of the best tourism villages 2022 can be read here: www.unwto.org/news/best-tourism-villages-of-2022-named-by-unwto
Tune in to the event via the official live stream here: https://youtube.com/live/32ecVh7kzkE
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It’s always AlUla / not Al-Ula
About the Royal Commission for AlUla
The Royal Commission for AlUla (RCU) was established by Royal Decree in July 2017 Conservation and development of AlUla, a region of outstanding natural and cultural importance in the North West Saudi Arabia. RCU’s long-term plan outlines a responsible, sustainable and sensitive approach to urban and economic development that preserves the natural and historical heritage of the region while establishing AlUla as a desirable place to live, work and visit. This encompasses a wide range of initiatives in archaeology, tourism, culture, education and the arts, reflecting a commitment to meet the priorities of economic diversification, local community empowerment and heritage preservation Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Vision 2030 program.
Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2030949/AlUla_Cultural_Oasis.jpg
Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2030953/AlUla_Old_Town_District.jpg
SOURCE Royal Commission for AlUla
