Destinations Doing Well: Grades B to B-

[Above: Dominica, rated “B.” Photo: Jonathan Tourtellot]

From 2004 to 2010, National Geographic expert panelists weighed environment, cultural factors, built heritage, aesthetics, tourism management, and overall trend for each destination. These grades reflect their consensus, reported on five pages:

Download a pdf of all 440 destination grades, listed by country.

THE LIST part 2: DOING WELL

These destinations may have a few problems, but overall stewardship is in relatively good condition.

B

Country Destination
Japan Ancient Kyoto
U.S.: Hawaii Kauai, Na Pali Coast
U.S.: Hawaii Molokai
Spain Córdoba
Oman Batinal (Gulf of Oman) Coast
Mexico Guanajuato, Gto.
Argentina Mendoza wine estancias
Chile Chilean Fjords
Australia Kakadu NP
Ireland Aran Islands
Portugal Évora
Slovenia as a whole
Spain Alhambra & medieval Granada
United Kingdom: England City of Bath
Canada: B.C. Gulf Islands
Canada: Newfoundland Gros Morne NP
U.S.: Vermont as a whole
Mexico Querétaro city/Sierra Gorda
France Lyon historic areas
Germany Bavarian Alps
Italy Siena
United Kingdom: England Yorkshire dales
United Kingdom: Scotland Scottish Highlands
Canada: Nova Scotia South Shore
U.S.: Oregon-Washington Columbia Gorge region
Canada: Quebec Old Quebec City
U.S.: South Carolina Charleston, historic center
Dominica As a whole
Chile Torres del Paine
Australia Tasmania
Australia Fraser Island
French Polynesia Bora Bora
Czech Republic Medieval Cesky Krumlov
France Banks of the Seine, Paris
Greece Hydra (Idhra)
Italy Cinque Terre area
Portugal Douro Valley
Switzerland Engadine
Switzerland Jungfrau-Aletsch-Bietschhorn region
United Kingdom: Scotland Edinburgh historic areas
United Kingdom: Wales as a whole
U.S.: Massachusetts Berkshires
Argentina Valdés peninsula
Brazil Paratí, RJ
Namibia Skeleton Coast
Australia, NSW Sydney Harbor
U.S.: Hawaii Hawaii Volcanoes NP
Cook Islands as a whole
Belgium Historic center of Bruges
France Corsica
France Loire Valley
France Historic Avignon
France Brittany
Italy Assisi
United Kingdom: England York
U.S.: Oregon Oregon Coast
U.S.: Oregon Ashland
Japan Fujisan (Mount Fuji)
Croatia Korcula
Germany Upper Middle Rhine Valley
U.S.: Georgia Sea Islands
New Zealand Bay of Islands
Germany Heidelberg
Greece Meteora
Norway Bryggen, Bergen
Poland Krakow
Portugal Southern Atlantic Coast
United Kingdom Isle of Man
Turkey Cappadocia
U.S.: New Hampshire Portsmouth
Brazil Pantanal
Malaysia Kota Kinabalu, Sabah
Australia, NSW Blue Mountains
French Polynesia Moorea
Austria Salzburg historic center
Denmark Central Copenhagen
Germany Munich (München) historic areas
Italy Amalfi Coast
Italy Tuscany
Morocco Essaouira, Atlantic coast
U.S.: California Point Reyes area
U.S.: California Northern coast (Marin to Eureka)
U.S.: Maine Maine coast
U.S.: New Mexico Chaco Culture National Historical Park
Canada: Quebec Montréal historic areas
U.S.: Rhode Island Block Island
U.S.: Virginia Monticello and Charlottesville
Bermuda as a whole
Tanzania Serengeti Plain
Australia, NT Uluru (Ayers Rock)
Samoa Upolu
Croatia Hvar
Greece Delphi
Ireland Ring of Kerry
Italy Sardinia
Netherlands Amsterdam historic center
Switzerland Alpine regions
United Kingdom: Channel Islands Jersey and Guernsey
Morocco Fez historic center
U.S.: Alaska Denali NP & gateway region
Canada:   Alberta Jasper N.P. & gateway
U.S.: California Mid-coast (Santa Barbara to Monterey)
U.S.: Georgia Savannah
U.S.: North Carolina Asheville
Canada: Quebec Laurentian Highlands
U.S.: Wyoming/MT/ID Greater Yellowstone/Tetons region
Bahamas Eleuthera
Brazil Ilha Grande
Chile Rapa Nui (Easter Island)
South Africa Kruger National Park
Antarctica Antarctic Peninsula
Estonia Medieval Tallinn
Germany Baden Baden
Germany Dresden historic areas
Italy Bologna historic areas
United Kingdom: England Jurassic Coast
U.S.: Alaska Kenai Fjords NP/Seward
U.S.: Arizona Hopi Villages
U.S.: Maine Portland historic downtown
U.S.: Massachusetts Boston historic areas
U.S.: New Mexico Pueblo de Taos, Taos, and Enchanted Circle
U.S.: Washington San Juan Islands
Anguilla as a whole
Costa Rica Caribbean Coast
St Kitts-Nevis Nevis
U.S. Virgin Islands St. John

B-

These destinations may have a few more problems, but overall stewardship is still better than average.

Mozambique N coast: Cabo Delgado/Quirimbas
Western Indian Ocean Réunion (Fr)
Palau as a whole
Samoa all coasts
Italy Lake District
Lithuania Vilnius historic center
Israel Masada
U.S.: CO-UT-AZ-NM Four Corners (Colorado Plateau)
U.S.: Kentucky Old Lexington, horse country
U.S.: Maine Mount Desert Island
Canada:   Prince Edward Island as a whole
U.S.: Texas Big Bend region
U.S.: Washington Olympic National Park
Mexico Oaxaca and Monte Albán
Puerto Rico Historic San Juan
Brazil Bahia—Northern coast
Phillipines Palawan
Fiji Yasawa group
Croatia Dubrovnik
Italy Sicily
Latvia Riga
United Kingdom: England England: Cornwall
U.S.: California Redwoods National and State Parks
U.S.: California The Peninsula—San Mateo/Santa Cruz coast
U.S.: Utah Zion region
U.S.: Virginia Wiiliamsburg/York/Jamestown
U.S.: Virginia Alexandria
Honduras Copán
St. Vincent As a whole
Tanzania Pemba
Russia St. Petersburg
New Caledonia as a whole
Greece Crete south coast
Poland Warsaw Stare Mjasto
United Kingdom: England Cotswolds
Canada/U.S.:   Alta-MT-BC Waterton-Glacier “Crown of the Continent” region
U.S.: Florida Forgotten Coast (Apalachicola area)
Seychelles As a whole
São Tomé and Príncipe As a whole
China Qin Emperor Mausoleum, Xian
Sri Lanka Polonnaruwa, Sigiriya, and Dambulla
Spain Toledo
Turkey Istanbul historic areas
U.S.: Arizona Grand Canyon/Tusayan
U.S.: Colorado Colorado Rockies
U.S.: Kentucky Bluegrass country
U.S.: Maryland Antietam National Battlefield
Bahamas Out Islands
British Virgin Islands as a whole
Guatemala Antigua
Mexico Isla Mujeres, QR
Trinidad & Tobago Tobago
Argentina Patagonian Andes region
Brazil Rio de Janeiro beach districts
Peru Machu Picchu
Kenya Lamu
Mozambique Bazaruto Archipelago
Indonesia Ubud
Cyprus Turkish side
Greece Olympia
Italy Florence
United Kingdom: England Canterbury
United Kingdom: England Isle of Wight
U.S.: California Yosemite area
U.S.: Massachusetts Martha’s Vineyard
U.S.: Utah Arches/Canyonlands/Moab
U.S.: Washington North Cascades NP & area
Mexico Colonial Campeche
Colombia Colonial Cartagena
Peru Cuzco Historic Center

 

Recognized in 2014 by the Green Destinations group.

Note—These letter grades interpret some 80% of the numerical survey scores reported by National Geographic (weighted to favor the more recent scores). The Destination Stewardship Center has applied these grades independently, and we take sole responsibility for them. For the original numerical scores and panelist comments, consult the appropriate links to National Geographic. Please also read about methodology.

About Jonathan Tourtellot

CEO, Destination Stewardship Center; Editor, Destination Stewardship Report; Principal, Focus on Places LLC; founding Director, former Nat Geo Center for Sustainable Destinations

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