Today, the United Nations Tourism Organization named three Iranian villages – Shafi Abad in Kerman Province, Qandrus in Mazandaran, and Sohaili on Qeshm Island – among the world’s best tourist villages in 2025, opening a new chapter in our country’s cultural diplomacy and one in which rural life itself becomes a message to the world.
In an era marked by civilizational upheaval and the constant acceleration of globalization, the world is once again searching for meaning, balance, and authenticity.
It is no coincidence that the world’s gaze is once again focused on villages, living repositories of wisdom, identity and the art of harmonious coexistence between humans and nature.
The registration of these three Iranian villages within a year makes Iran among a select group of countries to receive such recognition.
This milestone is more than a cultural achievement. It is a testament to the creativity of local communities, the vitality of indigenous cultures and a vision for development based on heritage, identity and ecology.
Each of these villages tells a living story of resilience and innovation.
In Candors, the integration of traditional knowledge and modern creativity is reflected in a herbal museum and a thriving indigenous medical culture, representing a knowledge-based rural economy.
In Shafi Abad, women-led initiatives in handicrafts, qanat restoration, and ecotourism demonstrate the deep connection between cultural heritage and social empowerment.
And in Sohaili, Qeshm Island fishermen have turned their livelihood into a marine conservation movement, a symbol of human responsibility to nature.
More than 50 indicators were evaluated during the UN Tourism selection process.
It spans cultural resources, natural resources, social and economic sustainability, innovation, and environmental protection.
Iran’s prominence among these criteria reaffirms both its ancient heritage and its modern ability to transform culture into a dynamic engine of development.
Looking ahead, the Ministry of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts is developing a national roadmap for the global registration of Iranian villages.
It focuses on infrastructure development, on-site training, and multilingual content creation to increase Iran’s presence and visibility in the global tourism network.
With more than 60,000 villages, Iran is more than just a geographical space. It is a living archive of human civilization. It is a land steeped in history, where every field, house and river bears a memory of the balance between humanity and the planet.
The global recognition of these three villages is not only a national success but also a cultural statement. Iran’s message to the world is that true development comes from culture, not from external imposition. Sustainability begins with memory. And the future of humanity depends on the wisdom of its roots.
Believing in this path, I believe that Iran’s name will not only be etched in the lists of UNESCO and the United Nations Tourism Organization, but also in the cultural memory of humanity itself, as a nation that continues to generate meaning, harmony and hope from its living heritage.