Seven Argentinian cities are vying for a place among the world’s best! The cities have been selected to participate in the third edition of the “Best Tourist Villages” competition.
The competition is organized by the World Tourism Organization (WTO), which aims to promote the best rural destinations to visit.
Therefore, the Best Tourist Villages project is the flagship of the WTO’s Rural Tourism and Development Program. The international competition, initiated in 2021 by the WTO, includes seven Argentinian cities among the selected in its third edition:
- La Carolina, in San Luis;
- Villa Traful, in Neuquén;
- Yavi, in Jujuy;
- Los Antiguos, in Santa Cruz;
- Laguna Blanca, in Catamarca;
- Gaiman, in Chubut;
- Tolhuin, in Tierra del Fuego.
What is the WTO and the “Best Tourist Villages” competition?
As one of the most important bodies under the United Nations (UN), the World Tourism Organization (WTO) has a mission to promote responsible, sustainable, and accessible tourism for all. In December, the WTO plans to announce the winners of the currently ongoing competition.
The competition in question is oriented towards valuing and recognizing rural villages. These places are lauded for being notable examples of how tourism can be used to bring benefits, protect communities, local traditions, and also preserve cultural heritage.
Continuously, this program aspires to ensure that tourism is an effective tool for reducing regional inequalities, especially with regard to income and development.
Therefore, the criteria for choosing the villages take into account aspects such as the number of inhabitants, which must be less than 15,000, and the adoption of innovative and transformative approaches in the field of rural tourism.
Finally, Argentina, known for the beauty and diversity of its landscapes, has many of these villages that deserve to be visited and admired. Proof of this is the recent selection of the city of Iruya in Salta by the prestigious travel magazine Condé Nast Traveler, which chose it as one of the 50 most beautiful cities in the world.
Get to know the seven Argentinian cities among the best in the world competing in the WTO.
1- La Carolina (San Luis)
Located in the Coronel Pringles department, in the province of San Luis, La Carolina is a living testimony of the local mining activity. It is located in the mountains of San Luis, at the foot of Mount Tomolosta, 1600 meters above sea level and 83 kilometers north of the capital.
2- Villa Traful (Neuquén)
Located in the Los Lagos department, in the south of the Neuquén province, Villa Traful has around 1,000 inhabitants. It is situated in the Andes mountain range, forming part of the Nahuel Huapi National Park, located on the southern shore of Lake Traful, making up the Corridor of the Seven Lakes.
3- Yavi (Jujuy)
Located 16 kilometers from La Quiaca, in the middle of Puna Jujeña and very close to the border with Bolivia, Yavi has around 400 inhabitants. It’s a very picturesque small village among the mountains, where the monotony of the color of the earth, which is the same in the entire landscape and in the local constructions, is impressive.
4- Los Antiguos (Santa Cruz)
With approximately 5,300 inhabitants, Los Antiguos offers a world of tourist attractions, situated in a fertile valley, with the Andes mountain range as the predominant setting.
5- Laguna Blanca (Catamarca)
It is one of UNESCO’s Biosphere Reserves, a protected natural area situated between the Belén and Antofagasta de la Sierra departments.
6- Gaiman (Chubut)
A small town situated in the lower valley of the Chubut river, 40 kilometers west of Rawson, Gaiman is recognized as a symbol of the Welsh colony of Chubut.
7- Tolhuin (Tierra del Fuego)
Finally, with 9,879 inhabitants, according to the 2022 census, Tolhuin is a city surrounded by the Patagonian Andean forest, in a transition zone between the Andes mountain range and the Fuegian steppe.
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Adapted for ArgentinaGuia.com, based on the original article “¿Cuáles son los siete pueblos argentinos que compiten por estar entre los mejores del mundo?”, Infobae, 2023, https://www.infobae.com/tendencias/2023/07/11/cuales-son-los-siete-pueblos-argentinos-que-compiten-por-estar-entre-los-mejores-del-mundo/.
