Two Swiss villages awarded ‘Best Tourism Villages’ label
Saint-Ursanne in canton Jura and Morcote in canton Ticino have been awarded the “Best Tourism Villages” label by the World Tourism Organisation (WTO). The winners will benefit from global media campaigns to raise their profile.
Tourist villages that value traditional activities such as agriculture and forestry and are committed to promoting and preserving their cultural heritage through tourism were eligible to apply, the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) said on Thursday.
Following a nationwide call for applications, the villages of Bregaglia (Graubünden), Morcote (Ticino), Romoos (Lucerne), Saint Martin (Valais) and Saint-Ursanne (Jura) were selected in the summer by a Swiss jury. The candidates’ dossiers were then submitted to the WTO.
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Morcote and Saint-Ursanne convinced the WTO jury with their strong focus on sustainable development, their picturesque centre and their various initiatives to preserve and promote their cultural heritage and enhance it for tourism.
With Andermatt (uei), Gruyères (Fribourg), Morat (Fribourg), Saas Fee (Valais) and Val Poschiavo (Graubünden), Switzerland now has seven certified tourist villages.
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