Tuesday, January 16, 2024
The United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) has launched an innovative digital platform, ‘Tourism Connects Rural,’ heralded as the world’s largest digital hub dedicated to fostering collaboration among communities engaged in rural tourism.
This digital platform serves as a nexus for approximately 200 rural destinations globally, all of which are part of the Best Tourism Villages by UNWTO Network. This strategic initiative aims to empower rural communities by providing them with a virtual space to enhance communication, share experiences, and collectively contribute to the sustainable development of their regions.
Tourism Connects Rural
One of the primary objectives of “Tourism Connects Rural” is to facilitate seamless internal communication among villages, enabling them to exchange insights, best practices, and unique experiences. The platform offers an interactive space where villages can collaborate on specific topics, creating a dynamic ecosystem of shared knowledge. Additionally, the platform provides a comprehensive bank of masterclasses designed to enhance the skills and sustainable tourism practices of participating villages.
Experience Exchange
Key features of the platform include Experience Exchange, which encourages villages to share their distinctive insights and best practices, and an Event Hub that enables communities to showcase their events and stay informed about special occasions. The platform also fosters real-time interaction, allowing villagers to engage in meaningful conversations, ask questions, and collaborate effortlessly.
Best Tourism Villages Network
Zorista Urosevic, the Executive Director at UNWTO, expressed the organization’s commitment to empowering rural communities through this digital initiative. She emphasised that Tourism Connects Rural provides unprecedented access for villages within the Best Tourism Villages Network to communicate, share, learn, and contribute globally. The platform is expected to play a pivotal role in advancing tourism as a driver of rural development.
By creating a digital space dedicated to rural tourism, UNWTO acknowledges the importance of collaboration and shared learning in fostering sustainable tourism practices. Tourism Connects Rural stands as a testament to the organization’s dedication to empowering rural communities and facilitating a collective approach to drive positive change and development in these regions.
Saturday, April 27, 2024
