The Isle of Flowers has just been recognized with two Travel Weekly 2022 Magellan Awards announced this October.
“We are absolutely thrilled that Martinique has been honored twice by Travel Weekly's 2022 Magellan Awards.” said Gaetan Paderna, Interim Director of the Martinique Tourism Authority. “After last year's Gold Award for Eco-friendliness, we are proud to be acknowledged this year as a top culinary and family-friendly destination. We look forward to welcoming very soon American travel agents and their clients.”
The Gold was awarded for “Martinique: A Culinary Delight” which highlights the Isle of Flowers distinctive French-Creole cuisine. It also highlights the island’s world-renowned and award-winning agricultural rums and the fascinating story of the return of coffee growing in Martinique. It is also notable that the prestigious VATEL School--rated France’s #1 Hospitality & Leisure Management school by QS World University Rankings—recently opened in Fort-de-France. The island’s new chefs will guarantee excellence and creative twists of their own in the years and decades to come.
The Silver award went to “Family-Friendly Martinique.” It highlights the range of accommodations that the island can offer families that include the island’s varied villa options for multi-generational trips. Activities include hiking & water sports, outdoor museums & attraction parks and the many experiences that parents & kids can enjoy together. Not to mention the peace of mind of Martinique’s modern and reliable infrastructure–roads, hospitals and other services, that are all on par with any other part of the European Union.
Martinique is also on a roll with UNESCO nods. After being recognized for its traditional Yole Sailboats in 2020, the eco-friendly island in its entirety was declared a World Biosphere Reserve in September of 2021. With a decision to be announced this fall-winter, the Isle of Flowers is up for UNESCO’S Natural Sites list for the towering Mount Pelée and the Pitons of Northern Martinique. 2022 is the 120th anniversary of the volcano’s eruption.
About Martinique | us.martinique.org The French Caribbean Island of Martinique is also known as the Isle of Flowers, The Rum Capital of the World, the Birthplace of coffee in the New World, The Isle of the Famed Poet (Aimé Césaire) – Martinique ranks among the most alluring and enchanting destinations in the world. As an overseas region of France, Martinique boasts modern and reliable infrastructure – roads, water and power utilities, hospitals, and telecommunications, services all on par with any other part of the European Union. At the same time, Martinique’s beautifully unspoiled beaches, volcanic peaks, rainforests, 80+ miles of hiking trails, waterfalls, streams, and other natural wonders are unparalleled in the Caribbean, so visitors here truly get the best of both worlds. The currency is the Euro, the flag and the official language are French, but Martinique’s character, cuisine, musical heritage, art, culture, common language, and identity are of a distinctly Afro-Caribbean inclination known as Creole. It is this special combination of modern world conveniences, pristine nature, and rich heritage that has earned for Martinique several notable distinctions in recent years.: Martinique named the world's top emerging destination by TripAdvisor for 2021. In late 2020, Martinique’s traditional Yole Boat was added to UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage List and the Isle of Flowers also earned Silver honors in Travel Weekly’s 2020 Magellan Awards as an Art & Culture Caribbean Destination. In December 2019 and for the second year in a row, Martinique was named “Culinary Capital of the Caribbean” by the Caribbean Journal. The island was also recognized in January 2019 by OprahMag.com and in first place in their list of “The 19 Best Winter Getaways.” Martinique was also featured in the Caribbean Journal’s Best Caribbean Islands to visit in 2019. Martinique has also been featured in Travel + Leisure and the New York Time’s “52 Places to go in 2018.” Hot off the press: the UNESCO Committee will visit Martinique in spring 2022 to weigh the candidacy of Mount Pelée and the Pitons du Carbet for induction in their Natural Sites List.
