Update 12/11/2014: The 2015 The World’s 10 Best Ethical Destinations list is out now. You can read which nations made the list, and more about this years’ list here.
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One of the best things mindful travelers can do is spend their tourist dollars in countries that uphold core values like human rights, civil society and environmental protection.
Every December, Bay Area-based Ethical Traveler (a project of the Earth Island Institute) lists “The World’s Best Ethical Destinations.” The independent non-profit honors 10 countries – all in the developing world – that are doing the most impressive job of promoting human rights, preserving their environments, and supporting social welfare– all while creating a lively, community-based tourism industry.
The 10 Best Ethical Destinations list helps socially and environmentally conscious travelers choose countries they can feel great about supporting.
Next week, the top secret list will be publicly revealed at the Commonwealth Club in San Francisco. (See below for event details.)
How the List is Created
Once a year Ethical Traveler reviews the policies and practices of scores of nations in the developing world, referring to well-respected resources as well as its own country research, focusing on three general categories: Environmental Protection, Social Welfare and Human Rights.
Plus in a new twist that began in 2013, Animal Welfare was added to the list of research categories, after Ethical Traveler received scores of requests from its members.
Past and present information is looked at in an effort to identify the current state of a country, plus how it has changed over time, which helps Ethical Traveler select nations that are actively improving the state of their people, government and environment.
There’s more to making the list than excelling in the selected categories. Each country selected as a Best Ethical Destination also offers the opportunity to experience unspoiled natural beauty, and to interact with local people and cultures in a meaningful, mutually enriching way.
By visiting these countries, travelers support these best practices with economic leverage.
Event! The Ten Best Ethical Destinations Awards: Voting with Our Wings
Join Jeff Greenwald, Executive Director of Ethical Traveler, and Altruvistas founder Malia Everette, along with representatives from the award-winning countries, for a discussion about which countries made the 2015 list and why.
Location: SF Club Office
Time: 5:30 p.m. check-in, 6 p.m. program, 7 p.m. reception
Cost: $20 non-members, MEMBERS FREE, $7 students (with valid ID)
Event details: Visit the Commonwealth Club website.
