Rășinari, a charming village in Romania's Sibiu county, officially received its title of "Best Tourism Village" in a ceremony held in Saudi Arabia and organized by the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO). The award will be brought back to Romania by Cătălin Canciu, secretary of state in the Ministry of Tourism, and Bucur Bogdan, mayor of Rășinari.

"The event themed 'Tourism Changing Lives', held in AlUla - Saudi Arabia, brought together representatives of tourism authorities from around the world as well as ambassadors, creating a unique opportunity to promote the global commitment to transform tourism into an engine for rural development," reads a statement from the Romanian Ministry of Tourism.

"The subject was also brought up during informal discussions that secretary of state Cătălin Canciu had with the minister of tourism of Saudi Arabia, Ahmed al Khateeb, and with the secretary general of the UNWTO, Zurab Pololikashvili, from the perspective of Romania's efforts to increase the well-being of communities in rural areas."

Rășinari is Romania's big winner in the second edition of the world competition "Best Tourism Villages," launched by UNWTO. The village was selected, according to the regulations, from over 130 applications from 57 countries. The tourist offer of the area was presented at the event in Saudi Arabia.

A total of 32 villages from 22 countries have been named 'Best Tourism Villages 2022' by the World Tourism Organization. A further 20 villages entered the Upgrade Programme. The complete list is available here.

irina.marica@romania-insider.com

(Photo source: Facebook/Ministerul Turismului)