Zell am See is one of two Austrian places on the list.
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(CNN) --
Travel has changed in many ways since the pandemic began, but one change for the better is the new push toward rural tourism.
Where before we intended to organize a trip to the city, in lockdown we began to dream of the outdoors, and that still hasn't changed.
So here are 32 new rural spots to add to your list.
The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) has compiled its second annual list of the "best" rural towns in the world.
It's a departure from the usual Instagrammable lists of top tourist destinations.
UNWTO is a United Nations agency that focuses on responsible tourism, so these towns have been chosen for how they are increasing visitor numbers without ruining what visitors come to see.
In a statement, UNWTO said:
"The award recognizes rural destinations that embrace tourism as a driver for development and new employment and income opportunities, while preserving and promoting community values and products. The initiative also recognizes towns for their commitment to innovation and sustainability in all its aspects —economic, social and environmental— and a focus on the development of tourism in line with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
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A total of 32 peoples from around the world made the list, out of 136 proposals offered by 57 UNTWO member states.
There is no classification;
instead, destinations are listed alphabetically by country.
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Puqueldon on the island of Lemuy in Chile made the list.
Bernd Zillich/Alamy
Each country was allowed to submit up to three towns for consideration, with only Spain managing to qualify all three of its towns.
Rupit, Alquézar and Guadalupe entered the list.
Its neighbor, Portugal, got an entry: Castelo Novo, one of 12 historic towns surrounded by the Serra da Gardunha mountain range.
Austria starts the list with Zell am See.
A small town, rather than a village, located on the shores of peaceful Lake Zell, in the shadow of the Kitzbühel Alps.
His brother, Wagrain, is a small ski resort near Salzburg.
Next is Chile, and its entrance Puqueldón, the largest of the nine towns on the island of Lemuy in the Chiloé archipelago in Chile.
China has made it onto the list with two towns: Dazhai, in the northern province of Guangxi, and Jingzhu in Chongqing, southwest China.
Zell am See is one of two Austrian places on the list.
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One particularly interesting addition to the list is Choke Mountain Village, an ecotourism village on Choke Mountain, about 200 miles (321 kilometers) northwest of the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa.
The farming community uses solar energy, biogas and ecological waste management, operates sustainable land management and has introduced fair trade tourism, where visitors can buy local honey, coffee, herbal medicines and beer as souvenirs of their stay.
The initiative called the "Best Tourist Towns" aims to combat rural depopulation, promote gender equality, innovation, infrastructure and investment, and reduce regional income and development inequality, all while enacting sustainable tourism and emissions and waste are reduced.
The towns on the list have a "clear commitment to innovation and sustainability in all its aspects: economic, social and environmental," UNWTO said in a statement.
The full list, in alphabetical order, is as follows:
Zell am See, Austria
Wagrain, Austria
Puqueldon, Chile
Dazhai, China
Jingzhu, China
Choachi, Colombia
Aguarico, Ecuador
Angochagua, Ecuador
Choke Mountains Ecovillage, Ethiopia
Mestia, Georgia
Kfar Kama, Israel
Sauris Zahre, Italy
Isola del Giglio, Italy
Umm Qais, Jordan
Creel, Mexico
El Fuerte, Mexico
Ksar Elkhorbat, Morocco
Moulay Bouzerktoune, Morocco
Lamas, Peru
Raqchi, Peru
Castelo Novo, Portugal
Pyeongsa-ri, South Korea
Rasinari, Romania
AlUla Old Town, Saudi Arabia
Bohinj, Slovenia
Rupit, Spain
Alquezar, Spain
Guadeloupe, Spain
Murten, Switzerland
Andermatt, Switzerland
Birgi, Turkey
Thai Hải, Vietnam