10 January 2023

United Nations 'World Tourism Organization' (UNWTO) presents qualities of the 'Best Tourism Villages' like Zell am See, Austria with pictograms of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals

The 17 Sustainable Development Goals for achieving peace and prosperity for humanity and the planet have become since the adoption by the members of the United Nations in 2015 a practical guideline for orientation to improve society and the preservation of nature in various aspects such as to end poverty, gender equality,... or responsible consumption and production, climate action, or affordable and clean energy (details at https://sdgs.un.org/goals). The pictograms of the 17 goals are used at the recently published directory of the 'Best Tourism Villages 2022' selected by an independent jury whose members selected from 136 villages 32 destinations where tourism in complies with the Sustainable Development Goals.

It's a holistic view on rural tourism reaching from social over economic to environmental activities including the preservation of culture and nature. The UNTWO provides information about the jury members as well as the criteria in nine areas at https://www.unwto.org/news/best-tourism-villages-of-2022-named-by-unwto.

Among the selected villages are two Austrian destinations, Wagrain and Zell am See. Both in the Austrian federal state Salzburg located destinations are known for tourism in winter and summer. Especially Zell am See was very active in the last years in the areas CO2 reduction and renewable energy. Zell am See is one of Austria's climate and energy tourism focus regions.

In the description of Zell am See at the 'Best Tourism Villages' directory, the art project on the mountain Schmittenhöhe is especially mentioned. At the website schmitten.at, insights into the project which went first live in 1995 are published. Among the views is a video about the artwork 'Funghi per tutti' by artist Max Seibald who speaks about some people's greed to pick too many mushrooms which endangers consequently the growing of new plants. Seibald's artificial mushrooms are 'planted' along the hiking ways and raise in a humorous way the awareness for a careful treatment of nature.

Image: View from Mitterberg. Photo: © Zell am See-Kaprun Tourismus.