Esfahak named one of UN Tourism’s Best Tourism Villages for 2024
UN Tourism’s Best Tourism Villages for 2024
In Iran, the medieval town of Esfahak has gained international attention being one of UN Tourism’s Best Tourism Villages
The tribute focuses on Esfahak’s incredible journey from an earthquake-ravaged area in 1978 to a thriving cultural and ecotourism destination that honors sustainability and legacy.
At National Handicrafts Exhibition, Seyyed Reza Salehi-Amiri, Iran’s Minister of Cultural Heritage, Tourism, and Handicrafts, announced the registration.
Salehi-Amiri praised Esfahak’s development and adoption of sustainable tourism.
Residents of Esfahak were forced to live in makeshift tents after the 1978 earthquake that rocked Tabas severely devastated the city. Later, when they started to rebuild their life, they constructed improvised timber rooms called Otagh-e-Choobi (wooden rooms).
The villagers rebuilt the town with a dedication to sustainability and cultural preservation, creating eco-lodges and repairing traditional homes with age-old adobe methods.
Because of its distinctive architecture and environmentally friendly techniques, Esfahak has become a popular cultural and ecotourism destination, winning the coveted Asia Architecture Award. Today, its charming adobe buildings and dedication to maintaining local identity bring travelers from all over the world.
On conserving natural landscapes, cultural history, and indigenous cultures, the Best Tourism Villages initiative has worked to advance sustainable tourism.
Esfahak’s participation on this international list is evidence to reviving their culture and transforming it into a sustainable tourism destination.
Esfahak was the recipient of the German Institute for Tourism and Development’s annual TO-DO Award in 2020.
Compiled by
World Travel News, Gorilla Trekking Uganda and Gorilla Trekking Rwanda
