UNESCO Creative Cities
The Creative Cities Network, a UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) programme instituted in 2005, recognizes cities worldwide with reputations as centres of excellence in literature, film, music, crafts and folk art, design, media arts and gastronomy. The programme is intended to help creative cities share ideas on preserving and enhancing their cultural programmes. Cities in this programme can be appealing travel destinations for the traveller interested in the cities' creative speciality (and other things as well). The members of the Creative Cities Network are:
| Name | Country | Category | Year | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Asaba | Nigeria | Film | 2023 | |
| Aswan | Egypt | Crafts and Folk Art | 2005 | |
| Bissau | Guinea-Bissau | Music | 2023 | |
| Buffalo City | South Africa | Literature | 2023 | |
| Casablanca | Morocco | Media Arts | 2023 | |
| Dakar | Senegal | Media Arts | 2014 | |
| Kinshasa | Democratic Republic of the Congo | Music | 2015 | |
| Lubumbashi | Democratic Republic of the Congo | Crafts and Folk Art | 2015 | |
| Praia | Cabo Verde | Music | 2017 |
| Name | Country | Category | Year | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Al-Ahsa | Saudi Arabia | Crafts and Folk Art | 2015 | |
| Ambon | Indonesia | Music | 2019 | |
| Asahikawa | Japan | Design | 2019 | |
| Ashgabat | Turkmenistan | Design | 2023 | |
| Baghdad | Iraq | Literature | 2015 | |
| Baku | Azerbaijan | Design | 2015 | |
| Bamiyan | Afghanistan | Crafts and Folk Art | 2015 | |
| Bandung | Indonesia | Design | 2015 | |
| Battambang | Cambodia | Gastronomy | 2023 | |
| Beijing | China | Design | 2012 | |
| Bukhara | Uzbekistan | Crafts and Folk Art | 2023 | |
| Busan | Republic of Korea | Film | 2014 | |
| Chengdu | China | Gastronomy | 2010 | |
| Chaozhou | China | Gastronomy | 2023 | |
| Chiang Rai | Thailand | Design | 2023 | |
| Chongqing | China | Design | 2023 | |
| Da Lat | Vietnam | Music | 2023 | |
| Gangneung | South Korea | Gastronomy | 2023 | |
| Gaziantep | Turkey | Gastronomy | 2015 | |
| Gwalior | India | Music | 2023 | |
| Gwangju | Republic of Korea | Media Arts | 2014 | |
| Hamamatsu | Japan | Music | 2014 | |
| Hangzhou | China | Crafts and Folk Art | 2012 | |
| Harbin | China | Music | 2010 | |
| Hoi An | Vietnam | Crafts and Folk Art | 2023 | |
| Icheon | Republic of Korea | Crafts and Folk Art | 2010 | |
| Iloilo City | Philippines | Gastronomy | 2023 | |
| Ipoh | Malaysia | Music | 2023 | |
| Isfahan | Iran | Crafts and Folk Art | 2015 | |
| Jaipur | India | Crafts and Folk Art | 2015 | |
| Jeonju | Republic of Korea | Gastronomy | 2012 | |
| Jingdezhen | China | Crafts & Folk Arts | 2014 | |
| Kanazawa | Japan | Crafts and Folk Art | 2009 | |
| Kobe | Japan | Design | 2008 | |
| Nagoya | Japan | Design | 2008 | |
| Pekalongan | Indonesia | Crafts & Folk Arts | 2014 | |
| Phuket | Thailand | Gastronomy | 2015 | |
| Rasht | Iran | Gastronomy | 2015 | |
| Sapporo | Japan | Media Arts | 2013 | |
| Sasayama | Japan | Crafts and Folk Art | 2015 | |
| Seoul | Republic of Korea | Design | 2010 | |
| Shanghai | China | Design | 2010 | |
| Shenzhen | China | Design | 2008 | |
| Shunde | China | Gastronomy | 2014 | |
| Singapore | Singapore | Design | 2015 | |
| Suzhou | China | Crafts & Folk Arts | 2014 | |
| Tel Aviv | Israel | Media Arts | 2014 | |
| Tongyeong | Republic of Korea | Music | 2015 | |
| Tsuruoka | Japan | Gastronomy | 2014 | |
| Varanasi | India | Music | 2015 | |
| Zahlé | Lebanon | Gastronomy | 2015 |
| Name | Country | Category | Year | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Austin, Texas | United States | Media Arts | 2015 | |
| Detroit, Michigan | United States | Design | 2015 | |
| Ensenada, Baja California | Mexico | Gastronomy | 2015 | |
| Granada | Nicaragua | Design | 2023 | |
| Iowa City, Iowa | United States | Literature | 2008 | |
| Montreal, Quebec | Canada | Design | 2006 | |
| Paducah, Kentucky | United States | Crafts and Folk Art | 2013 | |
| Puebla, Puebla | Mexico | Design | 2015 | |
| San Cristóbal de las Casas, Chiapas | Mexico | Crafts and Folk Art | 2015 | |
| Santa Fe, New Mexico | United States | Design, Crafts and Folk Art | 2005 | |
| Tucson, Arizona | United States | Gastronomy | 2015 |
| Name | Country | Category | Year | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adelaide, South Australia | Australia | Music | 2015 | |
| Ballarat, Victoria | Australia | Crafts and Folk Art | 2019 | |
| Bendigo, Victoria | Australia | Gastronomy | 2019 | |
| Dunedin, Otago | New Zealand | Literature | 2014 | |
| Geelong, Victoria | Australia | Design | 2017 | |
| Hobart, Tasmania | Australia | Literature | 2023 | |
| Launceston, Tasmania | Australia | Gastronomy | 2021 | |
| Melbourne, Victoria | Australia | Literature | 2008 | |
| Sydney, New South Wales | Australia | Film | 2010 | |
| Whanganui, Manawatū-Whanganui | New Zealand | Design | 2022 |
South America and the Caribbean
| Name | Country | Category | Year | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Belém | Brazil | Gastronomy | 2015 | |
| Bogotá | Colombia | Music | 2012 | |
| Buenos Aires | Argentina | Design | 2005 | |
| Caracas | Venezuela | Music | 2023 | |
| Concepción | Chile | Music | 2023 | |
| Curitiba | Brazil | Design | 2014 | |
| Durán | Ecuador | Crafts and Folk Art | 2015 | |
| Florianopolis | Brazil | Gastronomy | 2014 | |
| Jacmel | Haiti | Crafts and Folk Art | 2014 | |
| Kingston | Jamaica | Music | 2015 | |
| Medellín | Colombia | Music | 2015 | |
| Montevideo | Uruguay | Literature | 2015 | |
| Nassau | Bahamas | Crafts and Folk Art | 2014 | |
| Popayán | Colombia | Gastronomy | 2015 | |
| Santos | Brazil | Film | 2015 |