Cotigao among 35 best tourism villages of India

CANACONA
The remote Cotigao panchayat in Canacona has been awarded the Best Rural Tourism Village 2023 (bronze category) in the country for promotion and preservation of cultural heritage and sustainable development through tourism.

Cotigao was among the 35 rural tourism villages which were awarded in the gold (5), silver (10) and bronze (20) categories.

Cotigao Sarpanch Anandu Desai and Sanjeev Ahuja, IAS (Resident Commissioner, Goa Sandan, New Delhi) received the prestigious award on behalf of Cotigao village at an event in Pragati Maidan, New Delhi, on Wednesday to mark World Tourism Day.

Cotigao was adjudged as the best tourism village from among 795 other villages in 31 States/Union Territories.

Cotigao village was considered a shining example of excellence in rural tourism exemplifying the nine pillars in the best tourism village competition.

Minister of State for Tourism and Defence Ajay Bhat, Secretary (Ministry of Tourism) V Vidyavathi, IAS, and Nodal Officer CAN (Central Nodal Agency) for Rural Tourism and Rural Homestay Dr Kamakshi Maheshwari were also present at the event organised in New Delhi by the Central Nodal Agency for Rural Tourism and Rural Homestay to honour the recognised villages.

The event was held as part of the global launch of ‘Travel for LIFE’ to mark the initiation of the Best Rural Tourism Village Competition 2024 and the Best Rural Homestays Competition 2024. Cotigao will automatically qualify at this competition.

Much of the pristine Cotigao village lies within the Cotigao Wildlife Sanctuary, which has attracted nature lovers from far and wide. In addition, the village also has a seasonal waterfall in Kuskem, which comes alive during the monsoon, and it is frequented by hikers.

Incidentally, Cotigao is the second village in Canacona taluka to receive a national award in less than four months.

Earlier on June 5, the world-acclaimed coastal village of Agonda was the only panchayat from Goa to receive the National Panchayat Awards-2023 in the category ‘Clean and Green’ from the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change, New Delhi, on the occasion World Environment Day.