It is that time of year again! It is the United Nations World Tourism Organization’s Best Tourism Village Awards.
The awards are always a big moment for Bali, one of the world’s leading tourism destinations that is constantly working to prioritize cultural and community-based travel for the masses.
In years gone by, Bali has won big at the United Nations World Tourism Organization’s Best Tourism Village Awards. Both Penglipuran Village in Bangli Regency and Jatiluwih Village in Tabanan Regency, which overlooks the Jatiluwih Rice Terraces, have seen hugely positive impacts as a result of winning the prestigious award.
In fact, the United Nations World Tourism Organization’s Best Tourism Village Award is not given to a single village each year, but rather a short list of winners who are also provided huge amounts of strategic tourism development support by the UNWTO in the years following the win.
Typically, the long list for the World’s Best Tourism Village Award features around 300 communities, which are whittled down to a winners’ list of just 52. In 2025, the long list featured tourism villages from 75 countries worldwide. The 2025 awards ceremony was hosted in Huzhou, China.
Bali’s big winner this year is Pemuteran Tourism Village in Buleleng Regency. This humble coastal village in North Bali has caught the attention of international adjudicators for its attention to marine conservation and sustainable community-based tourism.
Pemuteran Village has officially been named as one of the top 52 Best Tourism Villages in the World in 2025. To receive the award in Huzhou, on behalf of the Pemuteran community, was the Indonesian Deputy for Destination Development and Infrastructure at the Ministry of Tourism, Hariyanto.
Speaking in light of the imposing and life-changing win, the Head of the Bueleng Tourism Office, Gede Dody Sukma Oktiva Askara, praised Pemuteran Village for the huge amount of hard work that went into winning the award. For those villages that wish to be in the running, it is not as simple as entering your name into a hat.
The rigorous profiling process requires communities to explain their tourism model in intensive detail. Askara praised the cooperative approach taken by community members, business leaders in the area, and supporting agencies.
Pemuteran Village has been developed as a marine conservation tourism village and is considered to be one of the best areas for diving in all of Bali. Over the last decade, Pemuteran and its surrounding waters have been a site for significant coral restoration efforts, and the results are proving highly impactful to both the reef and marine life.
Askara told reporters, “Underwater conservation, coral reef maintenance, and collaboration between the community, businesses, and the government are the hallmarks of Pemuteran Village compared to other tourist villages.”
He added, “This award is also expected to increase tourist visits, while also positively impacting the economy, culture, and environmental preservation.” North Bali, including Pemuertatn Village, is a priority area for tourism leaders in Bali.
Over the coming months and years, tourists can expect to see more promotion of this region as an emerging tourism destination. While tourism has been present in North Bali for decades in places like Lovina, tourism is still notably less developed than in areas of the central south.
The top destinations in North Bali that tourists should visit are Pemuteran Village, especially for scuba diving and snorkeling. It is also a wonderful place to connect with Balinese culture in a genuinely authentic way.
Of course, tourists should stop by Lovina Beach for a relaxed vacation vibe. Tourists are becoming increasingly interested in Munduk as an area of natural beauty and total retreat away from the busy tourism hotspots of the south.
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