Masfout in UAE’s Ajman was recognised as one of the world's Best Tourism Village (BTV) by the World Tourism Organisation (UN Tourism) during a special ceremony in Huzhou City, China, attended by a UAE delegation led by Mahmood Khaleel Alhashmi, Director General of the Ajman Department of Tourism Development (ADTD).
Masfout was awarded this honour in recognition of its unique natural, cultural and tourism assets, which have made it a pioneering model in the field of sustainable ecotourism and rural tourism.
Masfout has become a member of UN Tourism BTV Network, which grows every year, and with the announcement of its 72 new members, 319 villages are now part of the largest community of rural destinations in the world.
In this fifth edition of BTV, 52 villages from all regions - Africa, the Americas, Asia, Europe and the Middle East - received the recognition, selected from over 270 applications from 65 UN Tourism Member States.
UN Tourism Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili says: “Tourism can be a powerful tool to progress shared prosperity, inclusive growth and territorial cohesion in rural areas. Our Best Tourism Villages 2025 highlight communities that are working to safeguard their cultural heritage, preserve their natural resources and create economic opportunities through tourism. These villages show that by embracing tourism, they can promote social inclusion and build a future where no one is left behind.”
The Best Tourism Villages by UN Tourism initiative launched in 2021, under the UN Tourism for Rural Development Programme, accelerates the role of tourism in rural development by valuing and safeguarding rural areas along with their associated landscapes, knowledge systems, biological diversity and cultural heritage.
Meet Ajman Tourism Development Department Stand S9-421