Seychelles Is The World’s Top Eco-Tourism Destination, But Does It Deserve The Crown?

LifestyleTravelSeychelles Is The World’s Top Eco-Tourism Destination, But Does It Deserve The Crown?ByEmese Maczko,Contributor.Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. Emese Maczko is a travel writer covering sustainable travel.Follow AuthorJun 08, 2026, 08:00am EDTBaie Beau Vallon, a tropical beach on island Mahe in SeychellesgettyAs Seychelles prepares to celebrate its Golden Jubilee, marking 50 years of independence from the United Kingdom on June 29, 1976, the Indian Ocean archipelago has another reason to be in the spotlight.Recently, U.S. News & World Report named Seychelles the world’s No. 1 destination for eco-tourism in its 2026 Best Countries rankings.How can a remote luxury island destination that most travelers reach by plane be called the world’s top eco-tourism destination? I interviewed three travel experts to find out.What The Ranking Actually Says About SeychellesU.S. News & World Report ranked Seychelles No. 49 in its latest Best Countries rankings, with its strongest performance coming in the Natural Environment category, where it ranked No. 2.Aerial of Fregate Island in the SeychellesFregate IslandMORE FOR YOUAnd this second place explains exactly why Seychelles earned the No. 1 spot for eco-tourism. The country scored especially high for light pollution, protected areas, air quality, species richness, sustainable trade and natural attractions.U.S. News data also lists 32.6% of the country's area as protected natural areas and 56.3 native animal species per 10,000 square miles.But the same data also shows where Seychelles scored low: carbon emissions and water stress. These are two important issues for a destination depending on tourism, which accounts for 72% of GDP.Why Seychelles Has A Serious Claim"The Seychelles has become one of the world’s clearest examples of how a small island nation can align luxury tourism with long-term conservation," says Hilton Hastings, managing director of Fregate...