News Source: Ethical Traveler
BERKELEY, Calif., March 4, 2025 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — Every year, California-based Ethical Traveler reviews the world’s developing nations for their commitment to human rights, social welfare, environmental protection, and animal welfare. The ten destinations showing the most impressive progress are honored with “Best Ethical Destinations” Awards. These worthy countries, many of which are island nations, stand to benefit greatly from our travel dollars. In a world challenged by climate change and a rise in political polarization, recognizing and rewarding best practices is essential.
Image caption: Ethical Traveler.
After the global shut-downs and loss of revenue wrought by COVID-19, we enter 2025 with renewed wanderlust. But the world won’t recover overnight. This is especially true of the international travel industry — which employs one out of ten people worldwide. The recent challenges to travel and tourism have had a lasting impact across this vast sector of human society.
Visiting our winning destinations will help these nations continue their impressive work in social justice and environmental stewardship. By “voting with our wings” we can reward these nations for their efforts and motivate neighboring countries to do the same.
Ethical Traveler congratulates the 2025 honorees of the Ten Best Ethical Destinations Awards.
IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER (NOT IN ORDER OF MERIT), THE WINNERS ARE:
- Barbados
- Botswana
- Cabo Verde
- Chile
- Costa Rica
- Dominica
- Fiji
- Palau
- Panama
- Uruguay
“With the pandemic hopefully behind us,” says Ethical Traveler’s executive director Jeff Greenwald, “all of us can play an active role in redefining what travel is, and how it might enhance the lives of people around the world. When we visit the countries on our list — all of which have taken extraordinary steps to increase the welfare of their people while safeguarding their natural treasures — we’re expressing our admiration and support in a tangible and meaningful way.”
Adds Greenwald, “Since the launch of the first smartphone in the summer of 2007, the world has become ever more interconnected. Yet as all enterprising travelers know, there is still plenty of ‘out there’ out there. The winning countries on our 2025 list are great alternatives to the over-loved canals of Europe and beaches of Southeast Asia. Not only are they gorgeous and uncrowded, their national leadership has demonstrated a sincere commitment to practices that protect the environment and benefit Indigenous populations.”
“We inhabit and share the resources of a small planet, stunning in its beauty, diversity, and fragility,” says Greenwald. “Our only path to survival lies with taking care of each other. And this begins with knowing each other. We at Ethical Traveler passionately believe that travel can be more than a personal voyage of discovery. It shows us what it means to be human.”
Concurrent with the announcement of the winning countries, Ethical Traveler will launch a new photo gallery, featuring images by renowned photojournalist Robert Holmes.
ABOUT ETHICAL TRAVELER:
Ethical Traveler is a project of Berkeley-based Earth Island Institute, a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. The mission of Ethical Traveler — “Empowering travelers to change the world” – highlights the economic clout of travel and tourism to protect human rights and the global environment.
No money or donations of any kind are solicited or accepted from any nations, governments, or travel providers in the countries under consideration for our annual list. All parts of our 2025 report may be shared freely, with accreditation.
For Further Information please visit https://ethicaltraveler.org/
For inquiries, please email info@ethicaltraveler.org
Ethical Traveler c/o Earth Island Institute, 2150 Allston Way #460, Berkeley, CA 94704
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