Each year, the New York Times selects 52 places you should visit. This year, they’ve set out to find places around the globe where you, the tourist, can make a positive contribution to nature, culture, local communities, or in some way part of the solution to the major problems facing these regions of the world.
Chioggia, near Venice, for its architecture and its way of combating overtourism
Chimanimani National Park in Mozambique: a brand new national park where native species find refuge and where there are ancient cave paintings.
Queens, a neighborhood where you can taste the cuisines of some 150 countries.
Northumberland in Great Britain: for its beautiful beaches, its nights unpolluted by light and which allows you to admire the stars in all their splendor, but also because it celebrates the 1,900th anniversary of Hadrian’s Wall.
Zihuatanejo in Mexico: laid-back resort town where nature conservation and sustainability are paramount.
Ibera Park in Argentina: an area of some 8,000 square kilometers of swamps and grasslands being ‘rewildered’
Alentejo in Portugal, where wine is produced sustainably.
The Lucyan Archipelago in the Bahamas and the Turks and Caicos Islands where a new way to protect sharks has been found.
Last year, the town of Evia, Greece was hit by forest fires and floods. The local community helps those affected and encourages tourists to visit their island.
Cobscook Shores in Maine: a great alternative to Acadiaq National Park which attracts crowds of tourists.
Hoonah Alaska: Natives in this part of Alaska have found a way to fight cruise ship tourism.
Cleveland, Ohio, where the EDWINS Institute for Leadership and Restoration helps reintegrate ex-convicts.
Courmayeur in France: in a region where glaciers continue to melt, a balance has been struck between tourism and sustainability.
The Red River Delta is one of Vietnam’s lesser-known regions. You can experience the ancient traditions and culture of the local people.
Isimangaliso in South Africa. A country where nature reserves are in dire need of aid and tourism due to the pandemic.
Uttarakhand in India, where local women welcome tourists and invite them to participate in village life.
Fogo Island in Newfoundland (Canada): this island that lived off fishing is reborn thanks to tourism
Great Highway in San Francisco: A stretch of road along the coast is now closed to traffic and widely used by bicycles, pedestrians, joggers, or children (and others) playing…….
The High Road in San Francisco: A stretch of road along the coast is now closed to traffic and widely used for biking, walking, running, playing…….
Kyoto in Japan: tourism can help preserve traditional architecture that is in danger of disappearing.
El Yunque National Forest in Puerto Rico suffered massive damage in 2017 from two hurricanes Maria and Irma. As the government was slow to repair the damage, local communities took on the task.
Sierra Leone: Ecotourism can help this country ravaged by wars and epidemics to get back on its feet.
Slovenia, a country that promotes sustainable tourism and excellent restaurants that cook with local products.
El Hierro in Spain: this small island is a pioneer in the field of renewable energies.
In Australia’s Summerland Peninsula, a colony of little penguins land each year to breed. These were increasingly disturbed by tourists and domestic animals. The local government has found an ecological parade to prioritize animals while welcoming tourists.
The Dana Biosphere Reserve, Jordan, where nearly extinct desert villages find new life through ecotourism.
Gouda in the Netherlands: a good alternative to Amsterdam and this is also where the famous cheese is made.
Thy in Denmark: where sustainable energy is part of the tourist offer.
Red Mountain Trail in Egypt: a new 160 kilometer hiking trail created by Bedouins and which crosses a still unknown mountainous area in Egypt.
in Egypt: a new 160 kilometer hiking trail created by Bedouins and crossing an unknown mountainous area in Egypt.
Chicago’s Little Calumet River: A New Waterway introduces tourists to the African-American history of this part of Chicago.
The Hebrides in Scotland, where whiskey distilleries are switching to renewable energy
Normandy, where new long-distance cycle routes, such as the Vélomaritime, allow tourists to discover the region in a slow and sustainable way.
Estes Park in Colorado: a ski resort without ski lifts and therefore more respectful of the environment.
The island of Kunta Kinted in The Gambia: This place of memory that recalls the horrors of slavery is threatened by rising sea levels.
Naples, Italy: It’s getting hotter in this southern Italian city and locals are trying to help the poorest among them by offering affordable renewable energy and encouraging tourists to explore the city walk.
Höga Kusten in Sweden: This beautiful region aims to be completely climate neutral by 2030.
Humbold Kansas Memory: Residents have brought this deserted town back to life by living there again and inspiring others to do the same.
Greenland is one of the places on the planet most at risk from global warming and locals are doing everything they can to save their island, including planting trees.
Marrakech, Morocco, where women are increasingly taking the initiative in the management of shops, restaurants and hotels.
Northland, New Zealand, where the first Maori inhabitants developed several tourist services, including Ngawha Springs, the Te Ahurea cultural center and the Tahi eco-resort.
Vancouver Island in Canada: Ancient rainforests remind visitors of what is in danger of disappearing if we don’t stop global warming.
Elijo Panti National Park, Belize: This densely vegetated area is co-managed by the Mayan community.
Sarasota, Florida: New Architecture Sarasota aims to protect modernist buildings east of the Mississippi.
Vanuatu: The 80 islands that make up Vanuatu are in danger of disappearing, do not engulf the waves. This is why the country has started proceedings before the International Court of Justice to determine to what extent the countries of the world are obliged to help each other in the fight against climate change.
Santa Cruz County, California: The age-old giant trees nearly died in fierce fires in 2020. The new trails and their National Monument designation should provide funds to better protect these special trees from future fires.
Serra de Capivara National Park in Brazil: Visitors can help protect the 20,000-year-old art and archeology that can be found here, including by visiting the Museum of Nature, which opened in 2018.
Saguaro National Park in Arizona: The 10,000 iconic cacti in this national park are threatened by rising heat and fires. Volunteers have already started removing the invasive bison grass.
Islas Cíes in Spain: On this small island in the Spanish region of Galicia, tourism is strictly controlled, including limiting the number of tourists and enforcing rules against cars, hotels and excessive noise.
Under the leadership of Prince Albert, Monaco wants to be climate neutral by 2050.
Bronzeville in Milwaukee, Wisconsin: The Bronzeville neighborhood is emerging as the center of African-American culture, including the reopening of America’s Black Holocaust Museum.
Thaidene Nëné National Park Reserve in the Northwest Territories (Canada): a new national park in Canada with beautiful and wild nature and where the original inhabitants are involved in the management.
Cerro Castillo National Park in Chile is part of the Patagonian Parks Route, which consists of a series of 17 national parks in Patagonia. In Cerro Castillo, efforts are being made to prevent the extinction of the Chilean huemul, the national animal.
Daintree Rainforest in Australia: This 180 million year old rainforest was recently returned to its original inhabitants.