Global top 100 sustainable destinations unveiled

Global green ambassadors league launched, global green tourism map revealed

At a packed gala event in a historic green European capital – the biggest-ever green destination gathering announced its top 100 and inaugurated two major green tourism developments – a global league of ambassadors and a global green travel map.

The Sustainable Destinations Top 100 was unveiled for the second year on World Tourism Day and Green Destinations Day at the historic castle of Ljubljana – Green Capital of Europe 2016.

The awards celebrate the efforts of tourism destinations’ responsible and sustainable tourism initiatives.

Based on 15 core criteria of the Green Destinations Standard nominations were open to all and had to provide extensive information on the destination and on its efforts towards sustainability for the benefit of visitors, residents and the world.

All nominations were evaluated by experts of the Green Destinations Top 100 Team and by members of the special Top 100 Selection Panel that included over 60 tourism sustainability experts from all over the world.

The Top 100 initiative aims to recognise tourism destinations that have worked hard to make a difference and take sustainability seriously.

However, the organization says that sustainability is an ongoing challenge "no destination is sustainable for the full 100%. Even in the selected destinations important issues remain to be solved."

The Award winners were presented to the 350 participants of the Global Green Destinations Gala, 27 September 2016 in Slovenia at the Ljubljana’s historic castle at a gala event.

Previously at the Green Destinations conference on the two days surrounding the event, a global league of Green Destinations Ambassadors was launched.

Green Destinations Ambassadors will be an exclusive community of professionals committed to the well-being of destinations and the development of responsible tourism throughout the world. Each green destination has been invited to select ambassadors to join the community – a force that will help drive green tourism

Green destinations are also to be served by another global facility for the green-leaning visitor, the Green Travel Map, which will allow visitors to select destinations on the basis of dozens of facilities – from beaches to activities.

These innovations will offer green destinations both visibility direct to the public via state-of-the-art technology and the power of local people acting globally.

Valere Tjolle

@ValereTjolle [email protected]

The Top 100 selection is available at  http://greendestinations.info/top100-2016.

45 countries were represented in the 2016 100 destinations:

ITALY

• Best of Romagna
• Montepisano in Toscana
• Cogne (Valle d’Aosta)

JORDAN

• Sharhabil Bin Hassneh

KENYA

• Loisaba Conservancy
• Mara Naboisho Conservancy

KOREA

• Dongbaekdongsan
• Suncheon Bay Wetland

LATVIA

• J-«rmala

ARGENTINA

• Bariloche
• Tigre

AUSTRIA

• Werfenweng

BHUTAN

• Kingdom of Bhutan

BOLIVIA

• Madidi National Park

BOTSWANA

• Chobe, Makgadikgadi & Okavango Delta
• Selinda Reserve

BRAZIL

• Ponta de Nossa Senhora
• Fernando de Noronha

CANADA

• Niagara River, Falls and Parkway
• Great Bear Rainforest
• Dehcho-Akaitcho regions, Mackenzie Valley
• Mackenzie Delta – Beaufort Sea, NWT/YT

COSTA RICA

• Costa Rica including the Osa Peninsula

CHILE

• Isla Grande de Chiloe
• Curacavi
• Cape Horn Biosphere Reserve
• Huilo Huilo

CHINA

• Yi Xian (Yi County), Anhui Province
• Mt. Huangshan
• Jiuzhaigoiu Scenic Area
• Sanqingshan World Heritage Site

COLOMBIA

• Otun Quimbaya Fauna and Flora Sanctuary

CROATIA

• Delnice
• Town of Drniš
• Town of Mali Lošinj
• Gorski kotar
• Island Krk
• Pula

CYPRUS

• Paphos district

FRANCE

• Bretagne

GERMANY

• Norderney & Juist
• Bliesgau Biosphere Reserve
• Uckermark

GREECE

• Alonnisos, Northern Sporades

INDIA

• Khangchendzonga National Park
• Parambikulam Tiger Reserve

INDONESIA

• Misool, Raja Ampat
• Plataran L’Harmonie, West Bali Barat NP

IRELAND

• Clonakilty
• Gozo – Comino

NETHERLANDS

• Ameland
• Noordwijk
• Katwijk – Wassenaar
• Westvoorne – Hoek v Holland
• Goeree-Overflakkee
• Schouwen-Duiveland
• Veere
• Zuid-Limburg

NETHERLANDS – CARIBBEAN

• Bonaire
• Saba – St. Eustatius

MEXICO

• Sierra Gorda Biosphere Reserve

NIGERIA

• Cross River State

NORWAY

• Svalbard
• Geilo
• Sognefjord

REPUBLIC OF PALAU

• Republic of Palau

PHILIPPINES

• Lake Holon
• Lake Sebu, South Cotabato
• Bojo, Aloguinsan, Cebu

PORTUGAL

• Oeste (West region)
• Azores
• Peneda-Gerês National Park
• Lagos
• Cascais
• Sintra

RWANDA

• Volcanoes National Park

SLOVENIA

• Ljubljana
• Slovenia Green Destinations

SOUTH AFRICA

• Cape Town
• Grootbos Private Nature Reserve

SPAIN

• Atlantic Islands of Galicia NP
• Terres de l’Ebre
• Baiona, Galicia
• Noja

SWEDEN

• Sigtuna
• Åre

TAIJIKISTAN

• Pamir Mountains

TAIWAN

• Northeast and Yilan Coast
• Cihalaay Cultural Landscape Area

TANZANIA

• Chumbe Island (Zanzibar)

THAILAND

• Tung Dap Village

TIMOR LESTE

• Atauro Island

UNITED KINGDOM

• The Broads National Park, England
• Comrie, Scotland
• County Down, Northern Ireland
• Lough Neagh, Northern Ireland

UNITED STATES

• Jackson Hole & Yellowstone
• Desert View Grand Canyon NP
• Vermont

URUGUAY

• Punta del Este

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