Andorra
Score: 47

Small is not always beautiful. This micro-nation in the Pyrenees is "set in a very scenic area but seems to be a huge outlet mall." The villages survive as a repository of "social and cultural integrity"—perhaps the new foundation for overall sustainability.

Here is a representative sampling of additional anonymous comments from the panelists. They are not necessarily the views of the National Geographic Society:

"While upper reaches remain pristine, the valley is cluttered with tax-free stores, congestion, and overdevelopment."

"Has serious traffic problems, but keeps an atmosphere of a mountainous mini-state, with a flavor of both France and Spain. Outside main centers lies surprisingly unspoiled nature. The worst situation is at the ski resorts."

"The government seems to have the right intentions to make sustainable tourism a priority, but the country's size and contours don't lend themselves to the number of tourists they are targeting. The capital is not particularly attractive and suffers from traffic and characterless construction."