Belthangady’s Kuthlur Village wins National Tourism Award!

Team Udayavani, Sep 27, 2024, 10:09 AM IST

Credit: Sumesh Always via Wikimedia Commons

Mangaluru: Kuthlur village in Belthangady taluk, Dakshina Kannada district, is set to receive a prestigious national award from the Ministry of Tourism. The village, which was once affected by Naxalism, clinched this honor in the ‘Best Tourism Village Competition,’ in the adventure tourism category.

The contest involved three rounds – district, state, and national levels. The entry from Kuthlur competed in the adventure tourism category.

The winners, including Kuthlur, will be honored during the World Tourism Day celebrations scheduled for 27th September 2024 in New Delhi. This year’s theme for the event is ‘Tourism and Peace,’ focusing on the role of tourism in fostering development and global harmony.

The team from Kuthlur successfully showcased the village’s potential for ‘adventure tourism’ by submitting detailed documents, photos, and a video highlighting the area’s tourism opportunities and safety measures.

The Ministry of Tourism launched the ‘Best Tourism Village Competition’ last year to encourage villages across the country to promote tourism, with awards being given in different categories.  This competition aims to ignite a sense of pride and healthy competition among villages across the country. The initiative recognizes top five rural tourism villages under various categories, making Kuthlur’s achievement even more significant.

World Tourism Day, celebrated annually on 27th September since 1980, is organized by the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO). The date commemorates the adoption of the organization’s statutes in 1970, a key moment in the promotion of tourism as a tool for sustainable development and poverty alleviation.