NEW DELHI, October 13 — The Union Ministry of Tourism on Tuesday announced the winners of the National Best Tourism Villages Competition 2026, conferring honors upon 36 exemplary rural habitations across India recognized under the National Strategy for Rural Tourism and Homestay Promotion.
According to the official tourism release, participating village panchayats were audited across eight holistic parameters aligned with United Nations Tourism benchmarks: conservation of cultural and natural assets, economic sustainability, social integration, environmental stewardship, tourism value-chain convergence, community governance, infrastructure readiness, and safety standards. Among the recognized panchayats were Kongthong (Meghalaya, celebrated for its unique whistling tune heritage 'Jingrwai Iawbei'), Dhordo (Gujarat, the gateway to the white Rann of Kutch), Pochampally (Telangana, globally famous for silk Ikat weaving), and Ladpura Khas (Madhya Pradesh).
Tourism officials highlighted that targeted village development under the Swadesh Darshan 2.0 and PRASHAD schemes has created sustainable livelihood ecosystems, preventing distress rural-to-urban out-migration by empowering local artisanal cooperatives and women-led homestay networks.
The policy architecture of the National Strategy for Rural Tourism, UN Tourism (formerly UNWTO, headquartered in Madrid, Spain) Best Tourism Villages initiative, Swadesh Darshan 2.0 and PRASHAD (Pilgrimage Rejuvenation and Spiritual, Heritage Augmentation Drive), and the Geographical Indications (GI) of Goods Act 1999 are core syllabus areas across UPSC Civil Services (GS-I: Indian Heritage & Culture & GS-III: Rural Economic Development) and State Administrative exams.