The forthcoming host of the 19th FIFA World Cup, South Africa, has been listed in the developing world’s ‘Top 10 Best Ethical Destinations’. This list is published by Ethical Traveler, California-based non-profit organization ’empowering travelers to change the world’. The other most ethical destinations of 2009/2010 are; Argentina, Belize, Chile, Ghana, Lithuania, Namibia, Poland, Seychelles and Surinam.
The purpose of the list is to help the travelers to plan journeys which support nations that care about the environment, human rights, and the global community. Ethical Traveler uses three general categories to assess the sustainability of the destinations: Environmental Protection, Social Welfare, and Human Rights. Even though every country on the top 10 list have different kinds of problems in these categories, the researchers of Ethical Traveler have aimed to select countries ‘that are actively improving the state of their people and environment’.
South Africa received high marks in the research for supporting eco-friendly and community-based tourism initiatives, sustainable coastal development and environmental management. In addition to this, Reporters Without Borders have found South Africa to have a very high level of Freedom of the Press.
However, the country has a very wide gap between rich and poor and a high crime rate. The preparation process of the largest media and tourism event in 2010 has included illegal displacements of the poor families and bred restlessness among the ‘hosts’. A big wave of prostitution is expected to occur during the tournament which also means growing numbers of human trafficking. As an example, Costa Rica – ‘the land of Ecotourism’ – had lost its previous position on the list of ethical destinations in 2008 because of a very large scale of sex tourism…
Responsible travelers have a possibility to choose ethical destinations and to promote the sustainable development of these destinations while they travel. Thumbs up that we can find South Africa in ‘Top 10’ even after the World Cup!
But no worries for those they already got their thickets we at Mynatour are going to be in South Africa for one of our biggest and most exciting adventure yet – The “2010 South Africa Eco Route” a campaign to promote environmental responsibility and most beauty eco practices during and even after the world cup…follow us here!!
Text by: Emily H?ckert
See the full report of 2010 Ethical Destinations
Read about ‘Win in Africa with Africa’ project
Photo from:The South Africa Tourism Board