Canada named one of best countries in the world for ethical travel

Jan 30 2019, 2:23 am

Whether you’re a proud tourist, a budget-conscious backpacker, an off-the-beaten-path adventurer, or a general globetrotter, the ethics of travel should always be a consideration in guiding your wanderlust.

The Latin America Travel Company has created a Travel Morality Index to help guide morally conscious travellers down the path that they wish to take. The ranking is based on various factors that affect the ethicality and morality of a destination, including human rights protection, animal rights legislation, and gender equality rates.

As the second best country in the world, it’s no surprise that Canada has landed one of the top spots for ethical travel, coming in at number six on the list. This is a huge draw for tourists to visit our beautiful country. However, this position is something that we Canadians should not take for granted!

A large amount of countries across the world rely on tourism as their primary source of income, so it’s important to know where your money is ending up. Many ethical travellers will choose to boycott places that don’t measure up to certain ethical or moral standards, opting to funnel their tourism dollars into economies that are doing right by their citizens and their environment, and are contributing to a more positive global welfare.

While there are certainly opportunities to provide a positive contribution to the countries that rank lower on the ethical scale, it’s always advised to understand the current state of affairs of a country before diving into your trip.

The top ten ranking countries in the Travel Morality Index are as follows:

Country Human Rights Protection Score Animal Welfare Gender Equality Workers’ Rights Global Peace Index Positive Wellbeing Total
Germany 1.979 1 0.072 1 1.531 1.44 29
Austria 1.461 1 0.071 1 1.274 1.46 28
Iceland 3.932 7 0.062 1 1.096 1.44 26
Netherlands 2.456 3 0.044 3 2.053 1.38 26
New Zealand 2.416 7 0.136 1 1.574 1.43 26
Canada 1.697 5 0.092 2 1.372 1.48 26
Belgium 1.633 5 0.048 2 1.560 1.58 26
Finland 2.084 7 0.058 1 1.506 1.27 25
Czech Republic 1.964 5 0.124 2 1.381 1.99 25
Denmark 1.959 7 0.040 1 1.353 1.34 25

The bottom ten ranking countries are as follows:

Country Human Rights Protection Score Animal Welfare Gender Equality Workers’ Rights Global Peace Index Positive Wellbeing Total
Iran -1.084 8 0.461 5 2.439 3.79 10
Sri Lanka -1.105 7 0.354 6 3.508 3.18 10
Libya -1.165 8 0.170 6 3.262 3.84 10
Syria -2.114 8 0.547 5 1.980 4.12 10
Tanzania -0.330 7 0.537 6 3.600 3.45 9
Iraq -1.568 8 0.506 6 3.425 4.22 8
Democratic Republic of Convo -2.036 8 0.652 4 3.251 4.17 8
Afghanistan -1.282 8 0.653 5 3.585 4.21 7
Central African Republic -1.831 8 0.673 6 3.236 4.39 7
Yemen -1.042 8 0.834 6 3.305 4.28 6

The best country for ethical travel by continent are as follows:

  • Europe: Germany
  • Oceania: New Zealand
  • North America: Canada
  • Asia: Japan
  • South America: Chile
  • Africa: Botswana

See the complete breakdown of countries in the Travel Morality Index here.

We would love to share your experiences with ethical travel here on Mapped. If interested in contributing, please contact us at [email protected].

Kellie PaxianKellie Paxian

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