Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- An award ceremony in the "Best Tourism Villages 2023 Awards" nomination took place in Samarkand as part of the 25th session of the UNWTO General Assembly. The winner was the village of "Sentob", Navoi region.

"The attention and support of the President of Uzbekistan towards the tourism sector, and above all, the well-being of the population, have resulted in our country's rural areas gaining recognition worldwide. The recognition of the "Sentob" winter village in Navoiy region as the Best Touristic Village is undoubtedly the result of these initiatives!" said Deputy Chairman of the Organizing Committee of the Government of Uzbekistan UNWTO General Assembly in Samarkand Aziz Abdukhakimov.

The Secretary-General of UNWTO, Zurab Pololikashvili, also emphasizes the importance of tourism villages separately.

"The 'Best Tourism Villages' nomination is just the beginning of our efforts to further improve rural livelihoods. We aim to make tourism a driver for the development of rural life,” added the Secretary General.

For reference, on March 17, 2023, Sentob was officially assigned as a tourist village. Sentob regularly attracts foreign tourists from countries such as England, France, Austria, Germany, Italy, Russia, and others.

It is worth noting that the list of candidates for the title of best tourist village included 5 locations from Uzbekistan - the village of Konigil in the Samarkand region, Sentob in the Navoi region, Sangardak in the Surkhandarya region, Ukhum in the Jizzakh region and Avval in the Fergana region.

The nomination “Best Tourist Villages 2023” was established by UNWTO in 2021. The main goal is to attract the attention of tourists not only to developed destinations, but also to rural areas that have preserved their values and promote national traditions. This year the ceremony was held for the third time.

As in previous years, the villages of participating countries in the UNWTO were evaluated in nine key areas: "Cultural and natural resources," "Promotion and preservation of cultural resources," "Economic sustainability," "Social sustainability," "Environmental sustainability," "Tourism development and value chain integration," "Governance and Prioritization of Tourism," "Infrastructure and connectivity," and "Health and safety and security”.