Choke Mountains Eco Village has received its award from United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) for making the list of Best Tourism Villages (BTV) of 2022. Seleshi Girma, State Minster of Tourism, and representatives from the village received the award in Alula city, Saudi Arabia, from the hands of UNWTO’s Secretary General during the award ceremony which was held on February 27.

The tourism village is found in Degadamot Woreda, West Gojam, 300 kilometers from Addis Ababa. Choke mountain, one of the highest mountains in Ethiopia, houses the village. The village has developed sustainable land management and is promoting solar energy, biogas, and waste management. According to the UNWTO, the village encourages its local inhabitants to take an active part in adopting a sustainable lifestyle.

A total of 57 UNWTO Member States presented 136 villages for consideration for the 2022 recognition. The organization recognized 32 of these villages as best tourism villages.

UNWTO’s BTV recognizes villages that are an outstanding example of a rural tourism destination with accredited cultural and natural assets, that preserve and promote rural and community-based values, products, and lifestyle and have a clear commitment to innovation and sustainability in all its aspects – economic, social and environmental.

Source: Fana BC and UNWTO

Image source: UNWTO