UNWTO Best Tourism Villages: Pochampally is a town in Nalgonda district of Telangana. (File)
Telangana's Pochampally village was selected as one of the best tourism villages by the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) on Tuesday.
The prestigious award will be given on the occasion of the 24th session of the UNWTO General Assembly on December 2, 2021, in Madrid, Spain.
The Union Minister of Culture, Tourism and Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER) G Kishan Reddy congratulated the people of the village and said, "Pochampally's unique weaving styles and patterns received special focus through Prime Minister Narendra Modi's mantra of 'Vocal for Local' as a part of Atmanirbhar Bharat."
"On behalf of the people of Pochampally in particular and the people of Telangana, I am grateful that this award has been bestowed on the village of Pochampally. I am also grateful to the ministry officials for presenting the case for Pochampally and other entries effectively," added the minister.
The 'Best Tourism Villages' by UNWTO pilot initiative aims to award those villages which are outstanding examples of rural destinations and showcase good practices in line with its specified nine evaluation areas.
It also aims to support villages to enhance their rural tourism potential through training and access to opportunities for improvement.
The Ministry of Tourism recommended three villages for the UNWTO Best Tourism Village entry from India. These were Kongthong in Meghalaya, Ladhpura Khas in Madhya Pradesh, and Pochampally in Telangana. Pochampally was awarded by the UNWTO.
Pochampally, 50 Kms from Hyderabad, is a town in Nalgonda district of Telangana and is often referred to as the 'Silk City of India' for the exquisite sarees that are woven through a unique style called Ikat.
This style, Pochampally Ikat, received a Geographical Indicator (GI Status) in 2004.