Reiek village in Mizoram declared Best Tourism Village in India
The World Tourism Day celebrations took place at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi on 27 September. During this event, Reiek Village from Mizoram was declared the Best Tourism Village in India, earning the Gold Award.
Reiek village is one of the famous villages in Mizoram and is known for its sustainable living and vibrant culture. Lush streets lined with blooming trees adds charm to this village. Rainwater harvesting is a common practice among its residents which showcases their commitment to preserving the environment. The Reiek Tourism Development Board, established in 2018, collaborates closely with the State Tourism Department to implement responsible tourism policies.
Reiek Village is one of the best five villages in India to receive the gold award. Mizoram, Tourism Minister Pu Robert Romawia Royte accepted the award from Union Tourism Secretary Smt V. Vidyavathi. The Best Tourism Village Competition was organized by the Central Nodal Agency for Rural Tourism under the Ministry of Tourism and attracted over 750 applications across India.
Mr. Pu Robert Romawia Royte, expressed his gratitude and dedicated the award to the people of Reiek Village. He highlighted their efforts in preserving and promoting their cultural and natural resources which is now recognized and rewarded.
The competition was launched by the Ministry of Tourism on February 16, 2023, and after several stages of evaluation, 80 best villages were selected in early September. These villages presented their achievements through PowerPoint presentations and video clips to the National Evaluation Committee. Based on their performances, Gold, Silver, and Bronze awards were presented to the top 35 villages and Reiek Village was among the five Gold Award winners in the final selection.
The selection process for this competition was based on several criteria, such as cultural and natural resources, economic and environmental sustainability, governance, tourism focus, health and safety, culture preservation, social development, tourism growth, infrastructure and connectivity.
Dr. Lalrozama, the Secretary of the Tourism Department of mizoram extended a warm welcome to the participants during the 2023 World Tourism Day celebration in Aizawl on 27 September. Dr. R Lalrinchhani, the Deputy Director of the Tourism Department, delivered an enlightening presentation on Green Tourism and Investment during the event. Pu TC Pachhunga, the Honorable Vice Chairman of the Tourism Development Board and the Chief Guest, emphasized the significance of promoting sustainability in tourism development at the Aizawl World Tourism Day celebration.