‘Eco-friendly’ Oregon city is ranked as second-best ‘green getaway’ in the U.S.

A major Oregon city has been praised as a top domestic destination for those seeking sustainable travel, in a ranking that examined information about ecotourism and other environmentally-oriented attributes.

According to

InsureMyTrip,

a platform that, as the website says, is “dedicated to making the process of finding travel insurance simple, reliable, and stress-free,“ travelers are increasingly looking for ”more sustainable holidays,“ a trend that comes at a time when many popular destinations are suffering from too many tourists.

In response to that interest, the site compiled a list of

“Green Getaways: The World’s Most Eco-Friendly Cities.”

Researchers at

InsureMyTrip

examined “a range of ecotourism and destination-specific sustainability metrics,” as the introduction says. “This includes walking tours, the prevalence of sustainable hotels, pollution levels, and the walkability of a city.”

Before we get to Oregon’s bragging rights, the list of most sustainable global destinations has eight European cities in the top 10, with Helsinki, Finland, coming in at number one.

Moving to the U.S., the most sustainable city in the ranking is San Jose, California. But Portland is second on the list of domestic “green getaways.”

Here’s what InsureMyTrip says: San Jose has “the least expensive sustainable hotels at $164 a night and the shortest walking time between amenities – 19 minutes.”

OK, but what about the Rose City?

“The second-best U.S. city is Portland, Oregon,” according to InsureMyTrip. “This is the smallest city in our top five with a population of just 615k, and the best rated for green spaces at 85%.”

Following Portland is Boston, Massachusetts; Raleigh, North Carolina; and Las Vegas, Nevada.

In conclusion, the report says, “With travelers becoming more conscious of how their vacations can affect the environment, our data highlights the locations leading the way in sustainability. With many European cities offering both sustainable travel options and lower pollution levels.”

“Many U.S. cities are starting to become more sustainable,” the report continues, “with a wide variety of walking tours and sustainable hotels. The cities fall slightly behind in walkability and pollution data points, areas that should be expanded to allow travelers a more sustainable trip.”

Stories by

Kristi Turnquist

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