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Tra Que Vegetable Village in Hoi An was honored by the United Nations Tourism Organization as the 'World's Best Tourist Village' in 2024.
Mr. Nguyen Thanh Hong, Director of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Quang Nam, said that the ceremony to announce the World's Best Tourist Village Award 2024 by the United Nations Tourism Organization (UN Tourism) took place on the morning of November 15, in Cartagena de Indias, Colombia. Tra Que Vegetable Village is the only representative of Vietnam to win this award in 2024.
The UN Tourism “Best Tourism Village” award was launched to enhance the role of tourism in protecting rural villages, including landscapes, knowledge systems, biodiversity and culture, local activities including agriculture, forestry, livestock, fisheries and cuisine.
The selected village must be outstanding in its natural and cultural resources, and have innovative actions and a commitment to tourism development in line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
After evaluating more than 260 applications from 60 countries, UN Tourism recognized the rich and outstanding cultural and natural resources of Tra Que vegetable village, along with the village's commitments and actions in compliance with the three main pillars of sustainable tourism development.
To date, the United Nations Tourism Organization has awarded prizes to 130 villages worldwide, including 3 Vietnamese villages recognized in 2022, 2023, and 2024, respectively: Thai Hai village (Thai Nguyen), Tan Hoa village (Quang Binh) and Tra Que vegetable village (Quang Nam).
Formed in the 16th century, 3 km northeast of Hoi An ancient town, Tra Que Vegetable Village has the characteristics of a river island near the sea, surrounded by Co Co River and Tra Que lagoon, providing a mild climate, fertile soil, creating favorable conditions for local people to innovate and develop organic vegetable growing. Currently, Tra Que village has 202 households maintaining vegetable growing with 326 direct workers on an area of 18 hectares, bringing a stable source of income.
In April 2022, the vegetable growing profession in Tra Que was recognized by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and included in the list of National Intangible Cultural Heritage, belonging to the category of folk knowledge and traditional handicrafts.
In Tra Que village, historical relics such as Cham stone wells, Tho Than temple, Ngu Hanh temple, Nguyen Van Dien's tomb or Cau Bong worship ceremony, along with customs, practices, beliefs, and culinary culture are being preserved and promoted, proving the village's long history of development.
UN Tourism will award the certificate to Quang Nam province at the 2nd annual meeting of the Best Tourism Villages Network, within the framework of the "International Conference on Rural Tourism" held in Quang Nam from December 7-12, 2024.
Director of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Quang Nam Nguyen Thanh Hong said this is a recognition of the international community and the United Nations tourism agency in preserving and promoting the identity and value of traditional craft villages in tourism and community development.
Since 2019, Quang Nam has launched a message on green tourism development and then became the first locality in the country to issue a set of provincial green tourism criteria. The province has granted green tourism certificates to 32 units and businesses in the province.
"Tra Que Village being recognized will contribute to honoring the value, spreading the brand and promoting tourism in Hoi An, Quang Nam to international visitors," said Mr. Hong.
HQ (according to VnExpress)