Azerbaijan’s Khinalig village receives prestigious UN tourism recognition photo

Khinalig, one of Azerbaijan’s oldest settlements, has been officially included in the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) list of “Best Tourism Villages 2025.”

The announcement was made during a ceremony in Huzhou, China, which also hosted the third annual network meeting organised by UNWTO.

The State Tourism Agency of Azerbaijan told local media that the event aimed not only to highlight villages that have made outstanding contributions to rural tourism and serve as models of sustainable development and cultural heritage preservation but also to bring together representatives of prominent villages within the Best Tourism Villages program for experience-sharing and discussions on future strategies.

Khinalig was nominated in recognition of its long-standing preservation of cultural and historical heritage, its unique identity, and its ability to meet modern tourism standards. Its inclusion in the UNWTO list confirms Khinalig’s growing status as both a national and international cultural heritage tourism destination. The recognition is expected to boost the village’s visibility, increase tourist visits, and enhance the well-being of its local community.

At the ceremony, UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili presented the award to Murad Aghabayli, Chairman of the Board of the Reserve Management Centre under the State Tourism Agency of Azerbaijan.

The Best Tourism Villages program, run by UNWTO, confers the “Best Tourism Village” status on settlements that contribute to sustainable tourism by preserving cultural, natural, and social values, while also promoting agritourism. To date, 180 villages across 60 countries have received this recognition. Khinalig’s inclusion marks the first time an Azerbaijani village has been honoured, highlighting its global significance.

Khinalig’s history spans more than five thousand years, and the village is considered one of the richest ethnographic sites in Azerbaijan and the world. On September 4, 2023, the President of Azerbaijan decreed the creation of the State Historical-Cultural and Ethnographic Reserve “Khinalig and the Nomadic Route,” managed by the State Tourism Agency.

Further international recognition followed on September 18, 2023, when the Azerbaijani nomination “Cultural Landscape: Khinalig and the Nomadic Route” was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List during the 45th session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The nomination dossier had been prepared by the State Tourism Agency in 2021.

The UNESCO designation not only helped promote Khinalig’s millennia-old history, unique environment, and rich cultural traditions globally but also established a framework for its protection.

The State Tourism Agency has since implemented numerous projects aimed at safeguarding cultural and historical assets and improving living conditions for residents. Since 2020, 42 residential houses have been restored, and project documentation for restoring 33 additional structures has been completed.

Infrastructure improvements have included the construction of parking facilities and sanitary amenities for tourists, while local residents have actively participated in restoration and landscaping efforts, creating employment opportunities in the process.

The recognition of Khinalig as a “Best Tourism Village” is expected to drive the development of new tourism services and products, attract international visitors, and further enhance Azerbaijan’s global profile as a destination for cultural heritage tourism.

By Tamilla Hasanova