The Americas
Judging panel:
Dr Anna Spenceley, Christopher Imbsen, Diana Jarvis, George Kipouros, Jana Apih, Jeremy Smith, Dr Lauren Siegel, Lyn Hughes, Dr Nicole Cocolas, Sally Davey and Tiffany Chan
Pennsylvania, USA
Pittsburgh
The ‘Steel City’ was once the poster child of Rust Belt metropolises, and it was one of those hit hardest by the USA’s industrial decline in the late 20th century.
For architecture fans, the Green Buildings Tour offers insights into a city that ranks high for the sheer number of eco-certified buildings, while the Three Rivers Trail is one of many walks reclaiming riverbanks that were once wreathed in smog. GC (Photos: Shutterstock)
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Greater Victoria
According to the Global Destination Sustainability Index, Greater Victoria in British Columbia is the most sustainable destination in North America right now.
Paddleboarding, kayaking and carbon-neutral whale watching put the city’s natural spaces on show, and the Placemaking Project highlights Indigenous heritage through art installations in the Downtown area. DJ (Photos: Matt Shannon)
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Québec, Canada
Montréal
A mix of a circular economy and greening efforts are key to Montreal’s eco credentials, with the city having been ranked as one of the top-three sustainable tourism leaders in North America by the Global Destination Sustainability Index.
For example, in the Esplanade Tranquille area, Tourisme Montréal has funded the implementation of a circular composting system, with residual waste from restaurants now composted and reused as fertiliser for a roof garden. Harvests from this are then sold to local restaurants.
For travellers, it’s a spectacularly lush destination to visit. Tourisme Montréal has also been supporting several urban agriculture initiatives, with the green roof at Palais des Congrès having produced four tonnes of vegetables in 2024, with two tonnes of this donated to food security organisations.
Prairie Louvain, a sunflower field launched in 2023 in partnership with District Central, has now evolved into a biodiversity meadow to attract pollinators. And in 2023, greening efforts in Quartier des Spectacles introduced 100 potted trees and furniture with raised vegetable beds along a pedestrian section. DJ (Photos: Alexandre Choquette / Susan Moss)
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Asheville
When Hurricane Helene whipped through the Blue Ridge Mountains last year, the effortlessly stylish city of Asheville lay slap-bang in its path.
The devastation it wreaked caused many local stores and restaurants to shutter, and it’s only now that the Downtown area is fully reopened. It was all the more impactful because this is a city that relies on a core of green-minded, locally owned businesses.
In the community-centred restaurant The Market Place, for instance, seasonal ingredients are all sourced from nearby farms. There are plenty of other examples, too, from fashion boutique Rite of Passage, stocked by a zero-waste manufacturing facility that supports local designers, to French Broad Chocolate, where private tastings shine a light on its sustainable production.
Even local NGOs are getting in on the act. Asheville GreenWorks combines community service with the outdoors. Its canoe-based clean-up projects invite visitors to remove debris from local waterways, ending with a float to a local brewer for a taste of a city now firmly on the road to recovery. GC (Photos / videos: Jared Kay)
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Washington, USA
Seattle
A steel-and-glass beacon on the shores of Puget Sound, Seattle is a city indebted to the nature surrounding it. Around 90% of its electricity comes from hydroelectric power, and its wildlife-filled waters benefit visitors in plenty of other ways.
For example, east of the Ballard neighbourhood, where salmon can be seen leaping up fish ladders in the locks, you can now dine on the world’s first certified sustainable sushi at Bamboo Sushi.
Alternatively, head to the city’s parks, where some 1,000 hectares of parkland has been restored in recent years, offering a green retreat from Downtown’s skyscrapers.
And as you’d expect from a tech hub, there’s plenty of innovation to discover, from the world’s first zero-carbon arena to the city’s only carbon-positive accommodation (Hotel Westland), which opened on Pioneer Square in 2024. GC (Photos: Bamboo Sushi / Shutterstock)
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Peru
On the floating islands of Los Uros in Lake Titicaca, visitors can now stay in traditional totora homes and learn crafts and fishing techniques from the villagers.
Some 25 families on the islands offer immersive cultural experiences, and the knock-on effects for the community – a boost to local income, the preservation of Aymara culture, economic independence for women – are self-evident.
Community tourism is big in Peru. This is partly thanks to a government-backed strategy promoting sustainable development in rural communities.
The initiative empowers towns and villages to preserve their heritage and improve their quality of life through tourism ventures. It already contributes heavily to rural employment: in 2023, it generated over 6 million soles (£1.2 million) in income while giving 350,000 visitors a chance to see a side of Peru far beyond Machu Picchu. DJ (Photos: LATA Travel)
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Tobago
Tobago is not for you if your idea of the Caribbean is glitzy international resorts, nightclubs, casinos and golf courses.
Tobago is also working hard to keep itself pristine. Its commitment to eco-tourism manifests in initiatives such as being the first destination in the region to achieve Blue Flag status for boat operators, having the largest number of Green Key property certificates in the Caribbean, and holding an annual Hike and Plant event (September) that allows visitors to explore nature trails while planting trees along the way. LH (Photos: Visit Tobago)
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Mogol, Minas Gerais
The future for the village of Mogol was once bleak. The land had been farmed-out and its young people had left to work in the city.
here’s also a vegetarian/vegan restaurant in the village and a hire shop for mountain bikes. Mogol has become a place full of life again, as well as an eco-friendly enterprise and a centre for thinkers on green issues. DJ (Photos: Senderos)
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Dominica
The waters around Dominica are one of the few parts of the world where sperm whales can be seen year-round, so it’s the perfect place to set up the planet’s first sperm whale sanctuary.
Reputable snorkelling and diving businesses are now awarded permits to take visitors out to see the whales – in small numbers, at a safe distance and for a modest amount of time – to make sure that these incredible creatures aren’t disturbed by the very people who have come to see them in the wild. DJ (Photos: Shutterstock)
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Panama
Over the last five years, Panama has made massive strides in bringing travellers to little-glimpsed corners of the country.
Another impressive addition has been the SOSTUR platform, which connects visitors with community-based and eco-tourism experiences (pictured). From spending time with the fisherfolk of Cañas Island to hiking with Indigenous Ngäbe guides among the waterfalls of Soloy, it opens up parts of the country and local life that few travellers ever get to see. GC (Photos: Visit Panama)
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Chile
Patagonia
In 2019, the Estancia Cerro Guido, a working ranch and lodge in Torres del Paine National Park, set itself the goal of making livestock farming compatible with conserving biodiversity in one of the planet’s most inhospitable regions.
In particular, it focused on one of the world’s southernmost puma populations. Historically, these big cats (pictured) were seen as a threat to livestock, with over 100 killed annually. To address this, the Cerro Guido Conservation Foundation was set up, promoting non-lethal strategies such as using guardian dogs, implementing practices that prevent conflict and eliminating hunting.
You can gain first-hand experience of its work via safaris led by former puma hunters. These tours showcase the importance of ecosystem preservation while celebrating rural life – sheep shearing, horseback riding – and the cultural heritage of the gauchos. DJ (Photos / Video: LATA Travel)
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Guyana
Fly over Guyana and you’ll be struck by the soul-stirring sight of untouched tropical forest stretching to the horizon in every direction.
With as much as 87% of the country covered in forest (pictured) – one of the highest percentages in the world – Guyana is positioning itself as a leader in the preservation of forests to mitigate climate change.
The country’s Low Carbon Development Strategy is investing in clean energy, while carbon credit programmes continue to generate revenue that is reinvested appropriately, including into Indigenous communities.
Furthermore, community-owned and -led tourism has become a cornerstone of what Guyana offers visitors, who can now experience the interior’s nature and culture through excursions and stays in lodges owned and operated by its Indigenous peoples. LH (Photos: Shutterstock)
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Antigua & Barbuda
Most people understand that coral reefs are a vital part of the ecosystem, providing coastal protection and nurseries for marine life.
Moreover, they provide many economic benefits through marine tourism. And yet, rising sea temperatures, pollution and over-fishing still pose a huge threat to their health. How do you make people change their ways?
The Coral Reef Restoration project by The Elkhorn Marine Conservancy is taking a holistic approach to restoring the degraded reefs around Antigua and Barbuda. By engaging both local businesses and tourists through educational programmes and employing innovative planting techniques, it hopes to make a real difference.
The conservancy grows coral fragments from healthy populations in underwater nurseries, which are planted on the reefs. The York Island nursery alone is now home to over 1,000 of these fragments and is monitored to track their progress. It’s great news not just for the environment, but for snorkellers and divers across the islandsgauchos. DJ (Photos: Elkhorn Marine Conservancy)
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