Places Rated: British Columbia's Gulf Islands

The November/December issue of Traveler features our annual "Places Rated" survey of destination stewardship, and this year 340 expert panelists rated 99 coastal destinations around the world. Here on the blog, we're going to highlight some of these coastal destinations and are interested in adding your feedback to the mix. How do you think they're doing?

British Columbia: Gulf Islands
Rating: 78 -- "Top Rated" category

Scattered across the Georgia Strait between Vancouver Island and mainland British Columbia, the Gulf Islands enjoy a surprisingly dry and balmy climate. "Residents generally place a high importance on the quality of the environment and the way of life on the islands," and tourism is sustainably managed.

Why did the place earn this score? Read representative panelist comments after the jump: