-Umden and Mawphlang in Meghalaya recognised as winners-
The Ministry of Tourism, Government of India announced winners of the Best Tourism Villages Competition 2024, today, on 27th September, 2024, on the occasion of World Tourism Day.
Umden and Mawphlang villages in Meghalaya recognised as winners in the category of Craft and Heritage respectively.
To promote tourism to the Soul of India (India’s villages), the Best Tourism Villages Competition was introduced in 2023. The focus was to identify and recognize villages which preserve and promote cultural and natural assets through community-based values and commitment to sustainability in all aspects.
The first edition of the Best Tourism Villages Competition in 2023 saw applications from 795 villages. In the second edition of the Best Tourism Villages Competition, a total of 991 applications were received from 30 States and UTs, out of which 36 villages were recognized as winners across 8 categories of the Best Tourism Villages competition 2024.
These 36 are as follows:
| S.No | Name | State / UT | Category |
| 1 | Dhudmaras | Chhattisgarh | Adventure Tourism |
| 2 | Aru | Jammu & Kashmir | Adventure Tourism |
| 3 | Kuthlur | Karnataka | Adventure Tourism |
| 4 | Jakhol | Uttarakhand | Adventure Tourism |
| 6 | Kumarakom | Kerala | Agri Tourism |
| 7 | Karde | Maharashtra | Agri Tourism |
| 8 | Hansali | Punjab | Agri Tourism |
| 9 | Supi | Uttarakhand | Agri Tourism |
| 5 | Baranagar | West Bengal | Agri Tourism |
| 10 | Chitrakote | Chhattisgarh | Community Based Tourism |
| 11 | Minicoy Island | Lakshadweep | Community Based Tourism |
| 12 | Sialsuk | Mizoram | Community Based Tourism |
| 14 | Deomali | Rajasthan | Community Based Tourism |
| 13 | Alpana Gram | Tripura | Community Based Tourism |
| 15 | Sualkuchi | Assam | Craft |
| 17 | Pranpur | Madhya Pradesh | Craft |
| 18 | Umden | Meghalaya | Craft |
| 16 | Maniabandha | Odisha | Craft |
| 19 | Nirmal | Telangana | Craft |
| 20 | Hafeshwar | Gujarat | Heritage |
| 21 | Andro | Manipur | Heritage |
| 22 | Mawphlang | Meghalaya | Heritage |
| 23 | Keeladi | Tamil Nadu | Heritage |
| 24 | Pura Mahadev | Uttar Pradesh | Heritage |
| 25 | Dudhani | Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu | Responsible Tourism |
| 26 | Kadalundi | Kerala | Responsible Tourism |
| 27 | Tar Village | Ladakh | Responsible Tourism |
| 28 | Sabarvani | Madhya Pradesh | Responsible Tourism |
| 29 | Ladpura Khas | Madhya Pradesh | Responsible Tourism |
| 34 | Ahobilam | Andhra Pradesh | Spiritual And Wellness |
| 30 | Bandora | Goa | Spiritual And Wellness |
| 31 | Rikhiapeeth | Jharkhand | Spiritual And Wellness |
| 32 | Melkalingam Patti | Tamil Nadu | Spiritual And Wellness |
| 33 | Somasila | Telangana | Spiritual And Wellness |
| 35 | Harsil | Uttarakhand | Vibrant Village |
| 36 | Gunji | Uttarakhand | Vibrant Village |