Cusco dresses up once again to close out 2021, as Ollantaytambo is chosen as one of the best tourist towns by the UNWTO in Madrid.

To reaffirm its position as the “navel of the world,” Cusco receives an award that honors its care and its cultural and natural identity and originality.

The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) held its General Assembly in December to select the towns that stand out above all others worldwide, thanks to their resources and the good management of their authorities.

Once again, it was Cusco that received the recognition, thanks to the enormous potential that Ollantaytambo has for global tourism.

The UNWTO and the “Best Tourist Towns” award The World Tourism Organization holds annual awards to commemorate tourist destinations that deserve recognition for their cultural and natural value to the world.

In December, an event was held to find the 44 cities that best represent the concept of a “magical town.”

Over 170 cities from 75 different countries worldwide participated, all vying to become part of the select group of magical towns that all travelers will have to experience in 2022.

The criteria for selecting the best tourist towns were the quantity of cultural and natural resources, the promotion and conservation of cultural resources, economic, social, and environmental sustainability, tourism potential and development, value chain integration, governance and tourism prioritization, infrastructure, connectivity, health, and safety.

These requirements are not an easy task to fulfill because they involve the history and sustainable conservation of tourism resources, something that is not common in Peru and the world.

Ollantaytambo emerged as the winner due to everything it offers to travelers seeking the best experiences of their lives in Cusco.

Friends traveling to Ollantaytambo with the Tourist Ticket Ollantaytambo, magical town of 2022 Ollantaytambo is located in the Urubamba province, about an hour’s drive from the city of Cusco, approximately 80 kilometers away.

It is one of the most visited and highly recommended towns in Cusco, and it is a mandatory stop on the way to Machu Picchu.

It was the only district that represented Peru and was among the chosen 42 towns from 32 countries.

Today, Ollantaytambo represents an opportunity to validate the role of tourism by creating opportunities and promoting sustainable development.

But before that, Ollantaytambo represented the conquest and domination of the Inca Empire, built by Inca Pachacútec; later, it became a symbol of Inca resistance when it served as a fortress for Manco Inca Yupanqui.

What Ollantaytambo represents The magical town award comes many years late because from the beginning of tourism, Ollantaytambo has represented the extraordinary planning of Inca cities.

When you walk through the cobblestone and winding streets of Ollantaytambo, you can experience the characteristic way the Incas created their citadels, where the terraces and platforms were built to prevent landslides rather than for cultivation.

In its ruins, we find archaeological evidence of what was once one of the main cities in the Inca Empire and the Americas.

Its monumental complex offers some unique structures such as the “Temple” and its gigantic monoliths, its fortress with impressive walls, and finally, a unique view of the Sacred Valley of the Incas.

Historical Ollantaytambo The town that celebrates magic today has a particular history within Andean cosmology and the history of America.

It was Emperor Pachacútec who conquered and destroyed what was once Ollantaytambo