Within the framework of the UNWTO General Assembly, in Uzbekistan, La Carolina received the “Best Tourism Villages” recognition for the best tourist cities in the world, received by the Secretary of Tourism of the Province, Luis “Piri” Macagno, in the hands of the Minister of Tourism and Sports of the Nation, MatÃas Lammens.
The award recognizes towns that embody outstanding examples of rural destinations with cultural and natural values that preserve and promote rural, community values, products, and lifestyles and promote tourism as an engine of rural development and community well-being in the commitment to sustainability in all its aspects: socio-cultural, economic, and environmental.
In the meeting between the head of tourism for the province and his counterpart from the country, Macagno received the trophy that recognizes La Carolina as one of the best tourist towns in the world. This award to one of the most symbolic destinations in San Luis is the result of the coordinated work between all the tourism sectors at the local, provincial, and national levels before the World Tourism Organization.
The Secretary of Tourism of San Luis emphasized that “this is an inevitable opportunity for La Carolina to continue growing as a destination, positioning itself nationally and internationally through its history and natural attractions. In all, without knowing it, they are invited to visit one of the most beautiful places in the world, and that has many proposals to discover, walk, learn, and eat deliciously,” said Luis “Piri” Macagno.
The “Best Tourism Villages” initiative, launched in 2021, is part of the UNWTO Tourism for Rural Development Programme. Among the goals of the program are sustainable and inclusive rural development, combating depopulation, promoting innovation and integration of the value chain through tourism, and practicing sustainable solutions.
As in previous editions, the municipalities were evaluated in nine key areas: cultural and natural resources; development and conservation of cultural resources; economic sustainability; social sustainability; environmental sustainability; tourism development and value chain integration; tourism management and prioritization; infrastructure and connectivity; and health and safety. In this third edition, 54 villages from all regions of the world were selected as the new “Best Tourism Villages” out of nearly 260 candidates.
Located in the heart of the Central Sierras of San Luis, the town of La Carolina is a long, rustic street, surrounded by stone houses that preserve the colonial style and the nostalgia that has become the birthplace of mythologies that seek gold, a fever that is just there. He left mine openings, excavations, and old stories of the miners.
Today, it has become one of the main tourist attractions of the province. The place attracts adults and children for its options: expeditions inside the mines, visits to the Stone Church, horseback riding, cave tours with cave paintings, and the historic House by Juan Crisóstomo Lafinur, which is now the Museum of Manuscript Poetry, all combined with a native gastronomy that preserves the flavors that make this destination unique.
Notes and photos: Press Secretariat of Tourism
