The State Agency for Tourism Development has selected the village of Urych, located in the Skole community, to participate in the World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) selection process for the Best Tourist Villages rating.
In addition to the village of Urych, four other villages from across Ukraine were also included in the list:
- Vorokhta in Ivano-Frankivsk region
- Zelenyi Hai in the Dnipro region
- Kvass in Transcarpathia
- Olyka in Volyn
The inclusion of Ukrainian villages in this global network will not only guarantee the attention of travellers from all over the world, but will also allow them to count on mentoring from UN Tourism and potential financial support from foreign donors promoting tourism as a driving force for rural development.
The list of villages recognised as the best by the secret advisory board will be published at the end of 2024 on the official UN Tourism resources.
The village of Urych is described as a settlement with Boyko authenticity, which has been preserved in local rituals and architecture. Near the village is the medieval rock fortress and customs house of Tustan. The fortress has no analogues in the world and is one of the Seven Wonders of Ukraine. This area is so beautiful that Ivan Franko, Lesya Ukrainka and Ivan Vahylevych were among its admirers.