An Amis Aboriginal village and a scenic area in the nation’s northeast have been listed among the world’s top 100 “green” destinations this year.
It was the first time Taiwan has been included in the Top 100 Green Destinations, a global list launched in 2014 that ranks tourist destinations according to their sustainability credentials.
The “green” village, in Hualien County’s Fuli Township (富里), was registered as the Chihalaay Cultural Landscape Area in 2012.
Photo: CNA / Sustainable Travel Taiwan
It is known for its rich natural resources, rice terraces and historic irrigation systems that are still used by locals, according to a description of the village on the Green Destinations Web site.
“The tribal committee has founded a convention to protect this cultural landscape and it is actively engaged in developing more eco-friendly agricultural practices,” the description said. “Locals do not use herbicides and pesticides in this area, and they promote organic rice farming. Moreover, all the tour operators in the region are local people and a part of financial benefits is used to provide social services for the community, such as elderly care and childcare.”
The Northeast and Yilan Coast National Scenic Area was included in the list for “offering its visitors green mountains and clear water, as well as cultural heritage sites,” the organization said on its Web site.
“The destination develops eco-friendly tourism and works actively to become a sustainable destination. Locals have been working on improving wastewater treatment, solid waste management, reducing the use of water and carbon emissions,” it said.
This year’s top destinations were announced on Tuesday in Ljubljana, Slovenia, which was designated as this year’s European Green Capital.
The UN World Tourism Organization declared that next year would be the International Year of Sustainable Tourism Development, Sustainable Travel Taiwan chairwoman Monique Chen (陳盈潔) said.
Chen said that it was her organization that nominated Chihalaay for this year’s “green” destinations list, while Sustainable Travel International chief executive Brain Mullis invited the scenic area’s administration to enter the competition.
The goal of the rankings is not to sort out perfect “green” and sustainable tourist destinations, but to “recognize tourism destinations that have worked hard to make a difference and take sustainability seriously,” Chen said.
Five major criteria are used when making the selections: nature and landscape; environment and climate; culture and tradition; residents and reception; and sustainable management, Chen said
The last criterion plays the deciding role in the ranking, she said.
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