Vietnam’s Cát Cát village nominated for UN’s Best Rural Tourism Village award

Cát Cát, a village over 150 years old in Tả Van commune, Lào Cai province, about 320 km north of Hanoi, retains traditional wooden houses, local crafts and a community‑based way of life. The village has been selected as one of five Vietnamese representatives for the United Nations World Tourism Organization’s 2026 “Best Rural Tourism Village” award, joining Lò (Đắk Lắk), Bảy Mẫu Cẩm Thanh (Đà Nẵng), Măng Đen Treehouse (Quảng Ngãi) and Hữu Liên (Lạng Sơn). The award recognises rural destinations that combine tourism development with cultural preservation, environmental protection and sustainable livelihoods. Results are expected in the fourth quarter of 2026. The nomination follows earlier international attention, including a 2020 South China Morning Post feature that listed Cát Cát among fee‑charging villages worldwide.