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Island Destinations Rated
[i]The world's most appealing destinations—islands—are the ones most prone to tourism overkill. Our 522 experts vote on which ones avoid the danger, which are succumbing to it, and which hang in the balance……….
To see how the integrity of islands around the world is holding up, Traveler and our National Geographic Center for Sustainable Destinations conducted this fourth annual Destination Scorecard survey, aided by George Washington University. A panel of 522 experts in sustainable tourism and destination stewardship donated time to review conditions in these 111 selected islands and archipelagos. The scores that follow reflect the experts' opinions. Quoted phrases from their remarks suggest the thinking behind the scores.
The results show that beach-blessed islands draw sun-and-sand resort tourism development that can get out of hand quickly, although there are exceptions. Multiple cruise-ship crowds can also overwhelm an island, transforming it.
No surprise, then, that cloudy, beach-poor islands score well. Yet even these cooler islands are sometimes losing traditional families to soaring real estate prices.
All the islands that follow, even the lowest scoring, have great experiences to discover. To protect them, to restore them, we must value them as much as resort developers and cruise companies do. Even more.[/i<span style="color: #FF0000">]
Islands of the World and Their Scores </span>
Here’s what they have to say about the Caribbean Region
<span style="color: #FF6666"> Caribbean Region and Their scores</span>
SOME EXAMPLES:
Guide to the Scores:
0-25: Catastrophic: all criteria very negative, outlook grim.
26-49: In serious trouble.
50-65: In moderate trouble: all criteria medium-negative or a mix of negatives and positives.
66-85: Minor difficulties.
86-95: Authentic, unspoiled, and likely to remain so.
96-100: Enhanced.
<span style='font-family: Arial'><u>Dominica
Score: 77</u></span>
<span style='font-family: Arial'>
"Beautiful country. Still largely forested, amazing biodiversity, great bird watching and scuba diving. Because Dominica doesn't possess the traditional beaches of the Caribbean, it is often overlooked."
"The Nature Isle is aptly named—awesome power and incredible beauty of nature unspoiled. Its lush mountains, indigenous population, art, craft, agro-based products, and small-scale accommodation facilities all add to the opportunity for sustainable tourism development."
"The island has not changed much since Columbus first spied it. While cruise ship tourism has remained low, it threatens to overrun specific sites."
"A serious dichotomy between lip service to preserving and protecting its wilderness, which is the major product, and the soliciting of more cruise ships, the proposed oil refinery, and support for Japan on the whaling issue."</span>
<u><span style='font-family: Arial'>Aruba
Score: 48</u>
"Massive development of high-rise hotels on the west end results in serious traffic congestion. Also heavy dependence for hotel workers on expatriate labor. Cruise ships have resulted in a tacky downtown."
"The high-rise hotels lining Palm Beach are a good way of maximizing bodies on a beach while minimally impacting the island's interior. Vast majority of islanders are employed by tourism and know it's their bread and butter. The attitude towards visitors is genuinely warm and inviting. The Arikok National Park appears to be well-protected."
"Very little aesthetic appeal. The island has become almost exclusively a sand, sun, sea, and casino experience. Tourists are not educated on the ecological and/or historical elements of the destination."
"There's no 'there' there."
<u>St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands
Score: 70</u>
"St. John is the best in the Caribbean. Much of its natural environment has been saved by the Park Service and ecologically minded business people. Its long term prospects, especially for the locals, will depend on good sustainable tourism management."
"The national park has saved this virgin from being tired like St. Thomas. There's almost no trash along the roads, you can hike for a couple of miles without coming across structures, and there are fabulous bays reachable only on foot (or boat); snorkeling is outstanding. Still, several beaches are heavily impacted by cruise ship visitors ferrying over from St. Thomas. The park is understaffed. One-third of the island is not park and is under siege with over-scaled villas. Cruz Bay is losing its ramshackle charm to newer buildings containing shopping malls and real estate developers. Traffic is congested."</span>
<span style='font-family: Arial'><u>Jamaica
Score: 44</u>
"Both beautiful and ominous. The crime situation is well known, and the all-inclusive resort industry isolates foreign tourists from the country to an extreme degree. Over-fishing has taken a serious toll, and the national parks are under siege."
"North Coast and Negril are a mess. But Port Antoinio, Blue Mountains, Cockpit Country, and the South Coast offer authentic experiences."
"Many visitors never experience the rich heritage that the island has to offer, as the 'locking away' of tourists behind all-inclusive gates has led to resentment and crime against visitors. This discourages independent travelers who really want to experience the island's culture, food, and music."
"Rich and diverse cultural and heritage background with a diverse natural environment and landscape. Large resort complexes provide jobs to locals, but most of the income goes to the owners."
"Many beaches are spectacular, others are covered in discarded plastic bottles. An entrepreneur could set up a mighty recycling empire here."</span>
[i]The world's most appealing destinations—islands—are the ones most prone to tourism overkill. Our 522 experts vote on which ones avoid the danger, which are succumbing to it, and which hang in the balance……….
To see how the integrity of islands around the world is holding up, Traveler and our National Geographic Center for Sustainable Destinations conducted this fourth annual Destination Scorecard survey, aided by George Washington University. A panel of 522 experts in sustainable tourism and destination stewardship donated time to review conditions in these 111 selected islands and archipelagos. The scores that follow reflect the experts' opinions. Quoted phrases from their remarks suggest the thinking behind the scores.
The results show that beach-blessed islands draw sun-and-sand resort tourism development that can get out of hand quickly, although there are exceptions. Multiple cruise-ship crowds can also overwhelm an island, transforming it.
No surprise, then, that cloudy, beach-poor islands score well. Yet even these cooler islands are sometimes losing traditional families to soaring real estate prices.
All the islands that follow, even the lowest scoring, have great experiences to discover. To protect them, to restore them, we must value them as much as resort developers and cruise companies do. Even more.[/i<span style="color: #FF0000">]
Islands of the World and Their Scores </span>
Here’s what they have to say about the Caribbean Region
<span style="color: #FF6666"> Caribbean Region and Their scores</span>
SOME EXAMPLES:
Guide to the Scores:
0-25: Catastrophic: all criteria very negative, outlook grim.
26-49: In serious trouble.
50-65: In moderate trouble: all criteria medium-negative or a mix of negatives and positives.
66-85: Minor difficulties.
86-95: Authentic, unspoiled, and likely to remain so.
96-100: Enhanced.
<span style='font-family: Arial'><u>Dominica
Score: 77</u></span>
<span style='font-family: Arial'>
"Beautiful country. Still largely forested, amazing biodiversity, great bird watching and scuba diving. Because Dominica doesn't possess the traditional beaches of the Caribbean, it is often overlooked."
"The Nature Isle is aptly named—awesome power and incredible beauty of nature unspoiled. Its lush mountains, indigenous population, art, craft, agro-based products, and small-scale accommodation facilities all add to the opportunity for sustainable tourism development."
"The island has not changed much since Columbus first spied it. While cruise ship tourism has remained low, it threatens to overrun specific sites."
"A serious dichotomy between lip service to preserving and protecting its wilderness, which is the major product, and the soliciting of more cruise ships, the proposed oil refinery, and support for Japan on the whaling issue."</span>
<u><span style='font-family: Arial'>Aruba
Score: 48</u>
"Massive development of high-rise hotels on the west end results in serious traffic congestion. Also heavy dependence for hotel workers on expatriate labor. Cruise ships have resulted in a tacky downtown."
"The high-rise hotels lining Palm Beach are a good way of maximizing bodies on a beach while minimally impacting the island's interior. Vast majority of islanders are employed by tourism and know it's their bread and butter. The attitude towards visitors is genuinely warm and inviting. The Arikok National Park appears to be well-protected."
"Very little aesthetic appeal. The island has become almost exclusively a sand, sun, sea, and casino experience. Tourists are not educated on the ecological and/or historical elements of the destination."
"There's no 'there' there."
<u>St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands
Score: 70</u>
"St. John is the best in the Caribbean. Much of its natural environment has been saved by the Park Service and ecologically minded business people. Its long term prospects, especially for the locals, will depend on good sustainable tourism management."
"The national park has saved this virgin from being tired like St. Thomas. There's almost no trash along the roads, you can hike for a couple of miles without coming across structures, and there are fabulous bays reachable only on foot (or boat); snorkeling is outstanding. Still, several beaches are heavily impacted by cruise ship visitors ferrying over from St. Thomas. The park is understaffed. One-third of the island is not park and is under siege with over-scaled villas. Cruz Bay is losing its ramshackle charm to newer buildings containing shopping malls and real estate developers. Traffic is congested."</span>
<span style='font-family: Arial'><u>Jamaica
Score: 44</u>
"Both beautiful and ominous. The crime situation is well known, and the all-inclusive resort industry isolates foreign tourists from the country to an extreme degree. Over-fishing has taken a serious toll, and the national parks are under siege."
"North Coast and Negril are a mess. But Port Antoinio, Blue Mountains, Cockpit Country, and the South Coast offer authentic experiences."
"Many visitors never experience the rich heritage that the island has to offer, as the 'locking away' of tourists behind all-inclusive gates has led to resentment and crime against visitors. This discourages independent travelers who really want to experience the island's culture, food, and music."
"Rich and diverse cultural and heritage background with a diverse natural environment and landscape. Large resort complexes provide jobs to locals, but most of the income goes to the owners."
"Many beaches are spectacular, others are covered in discarded plastic bottles. An entrepreneur could set up a mighty recycling empire here."</span>
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