Palau, Micronesia: One of the World’s Best Ethical Destinations 2013
Palau, Micronesia: One of the World’s Best Ethical Destinations 2013
Palau, Micronesia: One of the World’s Best Ethical Destinations 2013
Travel News: Ethical Traveler releases annual survey of the developing world’s top countries for tourism, based on environmental and human rights performance
(January 1, 2013) — For the second year in a row, Palau, Micronesia was recognized by non-profit Ethical Traveler as one of the world’s most ethical tourism destinations. The list highlights 10 countries – all in the developing world – that combine best practices with superb scenic and cultural attractions. The winning destinations have all demonstrated a clear and continuing commitment to environmental protection, human rights and social welfare.
This year’s 2013 top ethical destinations, in alphabetical order, are: Barbados; Cape Verde; Costa Rica; Ghana; Latvia; Lithuania; Mauritius; Palau; Samoa; and Uruguay.
In addition to this recognition from Ethical Traveler, Palau is also honored as the feature destination in the current IMAX film, “The Last Reef” (www.thelastreef.co.uk); the Rock Islands were recently inscribed onto UNESCO’s World Heritage List; the destination has been designated as the world’s first Shark Sanctuary; and Palau is known as one of the “Seven Underwater Wonders of the World”
“We congratulate this year’s winners. They’re doing a great job showing the world that you can have a successful tourism industry along with sustainability and social justice,” said Ethical Traveler Executive Director Jeff Greenwald. “With the number of international arrivals expected to top the 1 billion mark in 2013, travelers have more power than ever. Every dollar we spend is a statement about which countries and governments we choose to support. By visiting the countries on our list, savvy travelers can have great vacations and promote the values we all share.”
Palau, Micronesia: One of the World’s Best Ethical Destinations 2013
Using publicly available data, potential destinations were evaluated on a broad spectrum of criteria—including ecosystem support, natural and cultural attractions, political rights, press freedom, women’s equality, commitment to LGBT rights, and— the survey’s newest indicator— terrestrial and marine area protection.
The 2013 list and report on the winners were presented at a public event on December 10th, 2012 at San Francisco’s Commonwealth Club. To view the full 2013 Ethical Destinations report and accompanying photo gallery, please visit http://ethicaltraveler.org/destinations.
About Palau: Located in the westernmost corner of Micronesia, Palau is an archipelago of more than 586 islands with about 20,000 inhabitants and was the world’s first official Shark Sanctuary, setting the pace for many other destinations to follow suit. Consistently ranked as one of the world’s best dive destinations, Palau is the ultimate paradise for the adventurous traveler, boasting some of the most spectacular water features and beaches as well as the world famous, swim friendly Jellyfish Lake and Rock Islands, which was recently inscribed onto United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Heritage List. With 1,450 species of fish and 500 species of coral, some have called Palau the “8th Natural Wonder of the World”, while others have identified Palau as “One of the Seven Underwater Wonders of the World.” For more information about Palau, please visit www.visit-palau.com.
About Ethical Traveler: An all-volunteer, non-profit project of the Earth Island Institute, Ethical Traveler’s mission is to use the power of tourism to protect human rights and the environment. For more information, please visit http://ethicaltraveler.org.
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