World's 10 best ethical travel destinations revealed

Are you the kind of traveler who wants to have a great time AND feel good about where your travel budget is going? Ethical Traveler's new report, "The World's Best Ethical Destinations" identifies the 10 countries in the developing world that are best protecting their natural environments, promoting responsible travel, and building a tourism industry which provides real benefits to local communities.

“There’s no doubt that worldwide interest in mindful, responsible travel is growing -- not only among travelers, but within the countries that host us," says Jeff Greenwald, executive director of Ethical Traveler and coauthor of the report. "Now is the perfect time for savvy travelers and well-intentioned governments to evolve together, each encouraging the other. This is especially true in the developing world, where travel and tourism can be developed as lucrative, low-impact alternatives to forestry, mining, and the destruction of ocean habitats.”

In alphabetical order, the best ethical travel destinations for 2010 are:

• Argentina

• Belize

• Chile

• Ghana

• Lithuania

• Namibia

• Poland

• Seychelles

• South Africa

• Suriname

“In drafting our report, we use scores of information sources -- including publicly available data -- to rate each country's genuine commitment to environmental protection, social welfare and human rights.” says Christy Hoover, coauthor of the report. “Data sources include the United Nations Development Program, Human Rights Watch, Columbia University, Reporters Without Borders, the Millennium Challenge Corporation, and many others. Private interviews with NGO leaders are part of the process, as well.” The full report can be viewed at www.ethicaltraveler.org/destinations.

Ethical Traveler is an international alliance of travelers who believe that travel is a powerful tool for international goodwill and cultural understanding. The group seeks to harness the political and economic clout of tourism to support human rights and the environment. Ethical Traveler is a project of the Earth Island Institute.

Photo credits: Jaguar in Belize by CTO-Demian Solano (top); Kalahari dunes by Namibia Tourism (bottom) 

Patagonia vs. the dams: Travel companies offer a special trip to fight a destructive project

Picture this: two wild and scenic rivers rushing from the glaciers of the southern Andes, through dramatic canyons, ancient forests, and productive ranchlands, traveling through some of the most pristine landscapes on earth. Now picture those same rivers tamed by megadams, the surrounding landscapes marred by clearcuts, power lines, and new roads, the livelihoods of local people interrupted. That's what's at risk if the controversial HidroAysén project to dam the Baker and Pascua rivers in Chilean Patagonia is approved.

Located more than 1,200 miles south of the national capital, Santiago, Aysén is the most sparsely populated region in Chile. In addition to indigenous communities and local ranching families who have lived on this land for generations, the area surrounding Baker and Pascua rivers supports a thriving sustainable tourism industry based on river rafting, trekking, and sport fishing.

One of the principal tourism operators in Aysén, Patagonia Adventure Expeditions (PAEX) has been running rafting trips on the Baker River for over a decade and have established several new trekking routes in the region. PAEX founder Jonathan Leidig sees a tremendous potential for sustainable tourism to generate income for both local residents and Chile as a whole - a potential that would be seriously reduced by the construction of the dams.

According to Berkeley, California-based International Rivers, one of the many international and Chilean environmental groups that have formed an alliance against the project, the proposed two dams on the Baker River and three dams on the Pascua River would involve creating the world's largest clearcut in order to lay new transmission lines and build thousands of 220-foot-high transmission towers over a 1,500-mile-long corridor. The reservoirs created by the dams would flood an area of 23 square miles, including prime ranching and agricultural lands, as well as critically important wildlife habitats. The transmission lines would cross 64 communities and 14 legally protected conservation areas.

Not only would the dams destroy the pristine character and traditional lifestyle of the Baker-Pascua region, it would likely also negatively impact Chile's international reputation as an ecotourism and adventure destination.

Environmental groups call the dam project unnecessary, destructive, and shortsighted. Rather than building more dams, Chile needs to embrace more modern, forward-thinking energy alternatives, as noted in a 2008 New York Times editorial. Yet the HydroAysén dam controversy is more than just a Chilean issue. In fact, the project's backers include not only Chilean companies but also multinational corporations.

In an effort to increase awareness of the HidroAysén issue, PAEX has joined forced with Vaya Adventures, a Berkeley-based tour operator specializing in South America, to offer a special "Ice to Ocean Fundraising Adventure" trip to the threatened area. The trip, which runs from February 26 to March 12, 2010, will include trekking through glacial valleys at the edge of the Northern Patagonian Ice Cap, the source of the Baker River, as well as rafting the Baker River all the way to the ocean. Under the proposed project, the river would be dammed in two places, making such a rafting adventure impossible.

All net proceeds from the trip will go to the International Rivers Patagonia campaign. The trip costs $4,975, not including airfare. Participants who commit to raising $2,000 for the International Rivers campaign prior to departure will receive a $1,000 discount.

In addition to raising awareness and funds for the anti-dam campaign, Vaya Adventures hopes to highlight the region as a sustainable tourism destination. "The region is too special not to try to do something to protect it from needless harm," says Vaya Adventures founder Jim Lutz. "The potential long-term benefits to Chile from sustainable tourism in the area are immense."

For more on the International Rivers Patagonia campaign, visit the organization's website or check out this fact sheet. For more on the fundraising trip, including how to sign up, visit the Vaya Adventures website.

Photos courtesy of Vaya Adventures: An area of the Baker River that would be flooded by the dam (top); a proposed dam site on the Pascua River (bottom)

Supersize me: Is the world's largest cruise ship just too big?

The big news in the cruise industry today is the official debut of Royal Caribbean's Oasis of the Seas, which arrived in her home port of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, after a 14-day voyage across the Atlantic from Turku, Finland. The world's largest cruise ship, the Oasis is 1,187 feet (360 meters) long and 208 feet (64 meters) wide. She has 16 decks and holds 5,400 passengers at double occupancy in 2,700 staterooms, including 28 multilevel loft-style suites. That is one enormous ship.

I've previously written elsewhere about the sustainability of the cruise industry. Overall, the industry is not known for being particularly eco-friendly, though many cruise lines have recently been making efforts to implement measures to make their ships less polluting and more energy efficient. Though significant advancements have been made, there's still a long way to go.

In an article on the Mother Nature Network, Shea Gunther recently wrote:

The Oasis of the Seas is far from green, but it does make some strides in the greener direction. The ship's huge liquefied natural gas fueled engines come equipped with pollution scrubbers that completely eliminate all SOx emissions, cut NOx emissions by 80 percent and CO2 by more than 20 percent. Manufacturer Wärtsilä claims Oasis of the Seas will use 25 percent less power than smaller but similar cruise ships. The ship will also process its own waste on board, reusing the wastewater and dumping nothing into the ocean. It's the first cruise ship to have a large tropical park filled with thousands of plants and natural features.

Short of a total societal breakdown or a severe and long lasting global economic depression, cruise ships aren't going anywhere anytime soon. If they're going to be sailing the seas, they should be as green as they can get, so kudos to Royal Caribbean for pushing the envelope in the right direction.

I agree with Gunther that as long as people want to travel on big cruise ships, it's great that some cruise companies are making efforts to become more sustainable. It seems as though the large size of the Oasis of the Seas has allowed Royal Caribbean to implement some new green measures.

There remains, of course, the question of whether bigger is actually better in other ways. While some observers have noted that larger ships mean more tourist dollars for ports of call, the reality of 5,400 passengers spewing from a single ship could be overwhelming for many smaller ports. For residents, that may not be such fun after all.

For the traveler, a larger ship may offer more on-board options, but being joined by 5,399 fellow passengers is bound to negatively affect the chances of unique local experiences on land. Then again, travelers seeking a deep connection with a destination and authentic interactions with the local culture aren't particularly likely to be on this ship in the first place.

In the end, I'm sure this behemoth will appeal to many travelers for whom a cruise vacation is as much - or more - about the on-board experience as it is about the ports of call. But sorry, Royal Caribbean, I'm afraid it's just not for me.
-----

Addendum: I personally prefer small cruise ships (no more than 100 passengers, preferably smaller) and find even the standard big ships (2,000 passengers or so) much too big for my taste. For a discussion of large-ship versus small ship cruising, see my article on the subject at Seattle International Travel Examiner.

Sweden to increase tourism budget by 50% for sustainable development

Sweden has announced that it will increase its tourism budget by 50 percent in order to promote sustainable development in the travel industry. Maud Olofsson, the Swedish Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Enterprise, Energy, and Tourism, announced the news last week at the Gothenburg Symposium hosted by the World Tourism Organization, the European Travel Commission, and the national tourist board VisitSweden. With the budget increase, VisitSweden will receive 150 million kronor (US$21.45 million) per year, up from 100 million kronor (US$14.5). Olofsson emphasized that this increase is not the result of any lack on VisitSweden's part, but rather is a directly reflection of the "great job" the organization is doing, as well as the important role that tourism can play in sustainable economic development.

"The aim of the Swedish tourism policy is for Sweden to be a highly attractive tourist destination, and for tourism to be competitive in the long term. Tourism should contribute to sustainable growth and increased employment throughout the country," Olofsson said in her presentation.

She added that there is an inherent conflict between the tourism industry and the need to combat climate change, but added that she believes that travel can be a catalyst for positive change. Despite the economic downtown, Olofsson said employment has been rising in the tourism industry, with almost 160,000 people in Sweden working full-time in travel-related jobs.

"Environmentally friendly travel must be sought within the framework of international cooperation and regulations. We cannot only rely on travelers to be conscious and responsible in the way they travel. The various operators within the travel and tourism industry also have a real responsibility to adapt," noted Olofsson. "Ecotourism initiatives must be promoted and developed, and every company in the supply chain can step-by-step improve its products and services in a sustainable and eco-efficient way."

In an interview with Valere Tjolle, editor of VISION on Sustainable Tourism, Olofsson further outlined her goals for Sweden's sustainable tourism development. She would like to see a focus on reducing emissions from transportation and improving training and education within the travel sector to make people more aware of the issues and the possibilities. Olofsson also expressed a desire for continued and enhanced global connections and cooperation.

With Sweden holding the presidency of the European Union for the rest of 2009, the country has a tremendous opportunity for leadership on climate change and environmental responsibility. Olofsson believes that Sweden is well positioned to lead the way in the development of a sustainable tourism industry.

"I think the awareness of the environment is very strong here in Sweden, and I think that's why we also are a role model to develop a sustainable tourism industry because the consumers are asking for that type of products," the minister said. "So in that sense I think that Sweden can be a player as a role model and also show how you can train, how you can show best practice, how you can be active and develop a sustainable tourism industry."

Visit TravelMole.com to watch Olofsson's presentation at the Gothenburg Symposium or watch Valere Tjolle's interview with the Deputy Prime Minister.