18 Nov 2021 Pochampally awarded best tourism village: UNWTO
- Pochampally village in Telangana has been adjudged as one of the best tourism villages by the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO).
- The 24th session of the UNWTO General Assembly in Madrid (Spain), this award will be presented on December 2021.
- The Union Ministry of Tourism has also drafted a Rural Tourism Policy which will not only promote tourism in our villages but also revive local arts and crafts and boost the rural economy.
- Earlier the Rudreshwar Temple/Ramappa Temple located in Mulugu district(Telangana) has been included in the list of UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Pochampally Village:
- Pochampally, in the Nalgonda district of Telangana, is often referred to as the Silk City of India for its exquisite saris, woven through a unique style called Ikat.
- Pochampally Ikat style was recorded as a Geographical Indication in the 2004.
- The unique weaving styles and patterns of Pochampally have been given special attention as a part of the vision of a ‘Aatma Nirbhar Bharat’ through Prime Minister’s objective of ‘Vocal for Local’.
- The Prime Minister inaugurated the first National Handloom Day on August 7(2015), as a tribute to the formal declaration of the Swadeshi Movement, to recognize the diversity of weaving techniques and our rich handloom tradition.
- The formal declaration of the Swadeshi Movement was made in Calcutta in the year 1905 at a meeting of the Town Hall on 7th August.
- Pochampally is also known as Bhoodan Pochampally in memory of the Bhoodan movement started by Acharya Vinoba Bhave from this village on April 18, 1951.
- Vinoba Bhave was the first international and Indian person to receive the Ramon Magsaysay Award in the year 1958. He was also awarded the Bharat Ratna posthumously in 1983.
- The Ministry of Tourism recommended three villages from India for the UNWTO Best Tourism Village entry. Pochampally was awarded as one of the best tourism villages by UNWTO.
- These three villages included Kongthong in Meghalaya, Ladhpura Khas in Madhya Pradesh and Pochampally in Telangana.
Best Tourism Village Initiative:
- This is a pilot project conducted by UNWTO to highlight the importance of villages that provide opportunities to preserve tourism culture and traditions, encourage mass celebration and protect biodiversity.
- It aims to reward villages that are outstanding examples of rural sites and demonstrate good practices in line with its designated nine assessment zones.
- It aims to help villages enhance rural tourism potential by providing opportunities for training and improvement.
United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO)
- It is a specialized agency of the United Nations responsible for promoting responsible, sustainable and universally accessible tourism.
- It was established in the year 1975. Its headquarter is located in Madrid (Spain).
- UNWTO encourages the implementation of a global code of conduct for tourism, in order to increase the socio-economic contribution of tourism while minimizing its potential negative impacts.
No Comments