TEHRAN – The United Nations Tourism Organization on Friday recognized three villages in Iran among the world’s 52 best tourist villages in 2025, praising their rich cultural heritage, historical importance and commitment to sustainable tourism.
The announcement was made at a special ceremony in Huzhou, China, highlighting rural communities around the world who preserve local traditions, protect the natural environment and promote economic opportunities through tourism.
The selected Iranian villages, Khanderous in Mazandaran province, Soheili on Qeshm Island, and Shafiabad in Kerman province, offer a glimpse of the diversity of Iranian landscapes spanning the forests of the north, the deserts of the central region, and the coastal regions of the south.
Located on Qeshm Island in southern Iran, Soheili has emerged as a leader in ecotourism and community-based conservation efforts. Local villagers actively protect raw mangrove forests, promote eco-friendly boating, and welcome tourists with local seafood, crafts, and clear starry skies. Soheili fishermen have turned their livelihood into a broader marine conservation movement, symbolizing the responsible relationship between humans and nature.
Located on the lush slopes of the Alborz Mountains, Khanderous is one of the oldest rural settlements in northern Iran. It is famous for its traditional stone houses, handicrafts and hiking trails through the ancient Hyrcanian forest.
In addition to the cultural heritage museum, Canderos also has a medicinal herbal museum that reflects the fusion of the village’s traditional knowledge and modern creativity, promoting a knowledge-based rural economy.
Shafiabad is located on the edge of the Lut Desert and is famous for Qajar-era caravanserais and the surrounding impressive sand dunes and giant karuts, natural desert formations carved by wind erosion. These features attract photographers and travelers from all over the world.
“Our Best Tourism Villages 2025 focuses on communities that are committed to preserving their cultural heritage, conserving natural resources and creating economic opportunities through tourism,” said Zurab Polokashvili, United Nations Tourism Secretary-General.
The United Nations Tourism Organization’s Best Tourism Villages program recognizes rural destinations around the world that demonstrate resilience, innovation and sustainable development in tourism. This year, 52 villages in Africa, the Americas, Asia, Europe and the Middle East were selected from over 270 applications submitted by 65 United Nations Tourism member countries.
Home to more than 60,000 villages, Iran is said to be a living archive of human civilization, with each village representing a historical story of the balance between humanity and nature.
In Shafiabad, for example, women-led initiatives in handicrafts, qanat (ancient waterway) restoration and ecotourism highlight the strong link between cultural heritage and social empowerment, the Iranian Tourism Organization noted.
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