Croatia is one of thirteen countries in the world, which have been chosen to be best destinations for 'ethical tourism'. Croatia is a country deserving a visit not only due to its beauty, but also due to its care for the environment and the country’s social development. This was concluded in a report by the ‘Ethical Traveler’, a non-profit organization from Berkley, California.
In order to form an opinion the ‘Ethical Traveler’ has used public data to compare indicators of ecological and social development in various countries. Thereby the group used numbers showing carbon dioxide emissions, the percentage of protected land, energy efficiency as well as allocation of profit, education and the protection of human rights.
The group, helping the tourists to make a responsible decision regarding their travels, has shown with its latest report to Americans that the best 13 tourist destinations for developing countries were: Argentina, Barbados, Belize, Ecuador, Croatia, Kenya, Costa Rica, Peru, Slovenia, Sri Lanka, South Africa and Uruguay.
For a country to become a candidate, its government has to show a firm dedication towards not only the environment but also the wellbeing of its inhabitants, emphasized the ‘Ethical Traveler’.
The report includes Croatia into the list of countries which satisfy the criteria of a relatively small social disproportion and talking about the natural beauties – it is noticed that the beautiful beaches of Croatia make it a viable alternative to Italy, France or Greece.
Ethical tourism is a recent concept even more demanding than the concept of ecological tourism, for it satisfies not only individual but also collective ideals.
The traveler experiences the environmental beauty and cultural immersion while actually contributing to the ecological preservation and social development of their host country, states the ‘Ethical Traveler’.
‘If a country uses tourism to contribute to the wellbeing of its populations, chances are that it will proceed in that direction’, said the ‘Ethical Traveler’ spokesperson Michael McColl. He said that he hoped other countries would see how it was economically useful to behave in such an ecological and socially responsible manner. (Hina)