In compiling the ratings, the group used publically available data to compare ecological and social development indicators for different countries. It also studied such data as CO2 emissions, the percentage of protected land, energy efficiency, income distribution, education and human rights protection.
Ethical Traveler, which helps American tourists make informed decisions on where to spend their holidays, recommended Argentina, Barbados, Belize, Brazil, Costa Rica, Croatia, Ecuador, Kenya, Peru, Slovenia, South Africa, Sri Lanka and Uruguay as the best ethical travel destinations among developing nations.
In order for a country to qualify as a good candidate for ethical travel, its government must demonstrate strong commitment not only to the environment but also to the wellbeing of all its citizens.
The report described Croatia as a country with a relatively low level of social inequality, noting that its beautiful beaches made it a viable alternative to Italy, France or Greece.
Ethical travel is a recent concept and more demanding than ecotourism because it fulfils both individual and collective ideals: a traveller experiences environmental beauty and cultural immersion while actually contributing to the ecological preservation and social development of their host country, Ethical Traveler says.