Summer tourists shop on Thames Street at Chartreuse and theTidal River Clothing Co.

The Providence Journal Frieda Squires

NEWPORT — A recent magazine article ranking the world’s best historic destinations amounts to a standing ovation for the City by the Sea — cut short by a few sharp punches to the gut.

Newport made it onto National Geographic Traveler’s list of the top 109 historic places to visit. But local reaction has been mixed because the magazine ranked Newport so low, dismissed the downtown as “a disappointing hodgepodge,” and complained of “too much shopping.”

“Totally congested” was another criticism.

“I thought it was great we got recognized,” said Keith W. Stokes, executive director of the Newport County Chamber of Commerce, “but it’s a wake-up call … It sends a real important message on what we need to continue to improve upon.”

Tops on the list is Wachau, Austria, with its tours of historic Welk Abbey. Next is another location not well-known by the average tourist: the Rideau Canal corridor in Ontario, Canada.

Among the more famous destinations are the Dijon and Bourgogne regions of France; Edinburgh, Scotland; Sydney Harbor, Australia; Munich, Germany; Istanbul, Turkey; Olympia, Greece; and Budapest, Hungary.

Quite a few American cities ranked high on the list, including Columbus, Ind. (11); Charleston, S.C. (15); and Red Wing, Minn. (23). New England was well represented on the list, with Portsmouth, N.H. (26), Boston (37); Portland, Maine (41); Lowell, Mass. (70) and Salem, Mass. (93).

Newport ranked below most of those, coming in at 78.

“The civic buildings, Colonial city, 19th-century mansions, and riverfront offer a unique and engaging combination for residents and tourists. Modern hotels are somewhat out of scale,” the review reads, mistakenly describing Newport, which sits on the Atlantic Ocean and Narragansett Bay, as fronting a river.

“The downtown waterfront area is a disappointing hodgepodge, but the rest of the historic area —especially Cliff Walk and the Gilded Age ‘cottages’ — is spectacular,” the review continues. It concludes, “Too much shopping has detracted from historic town. Totally congested. Tacky sprawl outside central area.”

The magazine said it evaluated “the qualities that make a destination unique, measuring “integrity of place.” It is not a popularity contest, but rather an assessment of authenticity and stewardship.”

The survey was conducted by a panel of 280 “well-traveled” experts in such professions as historic preservation, ecology, tourism, geography, travel writing and photography. They evaluated the destinations based on “environmental and ecological quality; social and cultural integrity; condition of historic buildings and archaeological sites; aesthetic appeal; quality of tourism management; and outlook for the future.”

“It’s extraordinary that Newport was one of several American cities that made this list. That’s a strong positive for Newport,” Stokes said.

Pieter Roos, executive director of the Newport Restoration Foundation, which offers walking tours of historic Newport and has led efforts to preserve Newport’s Colonial-era houses, said, “To be 78 out of the entire world is on the face of it not really a bad thing. The architecture and history we have here is remarkable. And, to a certain extent, the comments acknowledged that.”

Some took umbrage at the more pointed criticisms, including Evan Smith, executive director of the Newport County Convention and Visitors Bureau.

“Newport welcomes over 3 million tourists a year. If this were the feeling of most people, I don’t think we would be successful in attracting that amount of tourism every year,” said Smith, noting that other magazines have reviewed Newport much more favorably. In reply to the comment about the hotels, he said, “I don’t think they are too big.” Not one has more than 320 rooms, he said, and the city is renowned for its many bed-and-breakfasts.

City Councilman Stephen Coyne, who owns a shoe store, Terra Zapoto, on one of the city’s busiest wharves, objected to the word “hodgepodge.” “I think when people first look at the downtown what they do see is a variety of stores in a variety of different types of buildings,” he said. That is “one of the things that separates Newport from a lot of cities and towns …Our architecture is so eclectic. We have architecture that goes back to early Colonial times all the way up to modern times.”

As for the suggestion that there is an over-abundance of shopping, he said, businesses will “either survive or not survive. I think we’ve reached the point where we are supporting as many retail stores as we possibly can.” He and others said the “sprawl” referred to in the article must mean Middletown, with its large-scale shopping plazas and hotels along one of the key arteries into Newport.

Stokes seized upon the survey to bolster ongoing efforts to improve parking, traffic flow and aesthetics downtown. He sent a copy of the article to his board members that referred to Charleston, which Stokes sees as a model for Newport. He has taken city officials there to tour the city.

“Our historic structures, Ocean Drive and Cliff Walk are great assets, but the downtown is not seen in a positive light. The Charleston, S.C., reviewers empathized how well-managed tourism and public amenities are in a city that has far less historic attractions and structures than Newport! This should serve as a wake-up call for city government to work closer with the chamber and [visitors bureau] in developing policies that promote a cleaner, more accessible and enjoyable downtown Newport experience.”

The criticisms about Newport did spur some officials to talk about long-standing proposals to improve the downtown, such as creating a harbor walk along a waterfront that is now partially inaccessible.

“I’ve always felt Newport would benefit from a harbor walk where one could stroll uninterrupted along the waterfront,” said Smith. “I believe we could do this in Newport if we got together.”

Another idea that has been discussed lately is burying utility wires as part of the planned reconstruction of Thames Street.

“There’s a real desire to try and make the place look better,” said Roos. “It’s not an easy job,” he said, but “worthwhile things never are.”

To see the full report, go to http://traveler.nationalgeographic.com.

rsalit@projo.com