Travel Morality Index: The Most Ethical Places to Travel in 2019

Travelers have enormous power. With so many countries around the world relying on tourism as one of their main sources of income, travelers have the ability to choose to visit destinations that adhere to solid and upstanding ethical, environmental and moral practices. Conversely, travelers can opt to boycott places or events that don't meet such standards in an effort to force change.

With this concept in mind, The Latin America Travel Company recently created a Travel Morality Index, a ranking of destinations that meet the highest morality standards. The ranking is based on a review of such things as a country's human rights protection score, animal rights legislation, gender equality rates and far more. For those looking to vote with their travel dollars, here are the 10 countries that came out on top of the Travel Morality Index.

The index scores countries in each of the following categories: Human Rights Protection; Animal Welfare; Gender Equality; Workers' Rights; Global Peace Index; and Positive Wellbeing. When all these factors were calculated, Germany emerged as the top country in the world for ethical travelers.

"Germany ranked as highly as it did thanks to the fact it has the highest level of animal welfare protection possible, according to the Global Animal Law Project," states the report, adding that Germany also has a very high Gender Equality Score.

A central European country known for its charming mountain villages, baroque architecture, and Imperial history, Austria earned the number two slot on the Travel Morality Index. Similar to Germany, it ranked quite well in the categories of Human Rights Protection; Animal Welfare, Gender Equality, and Workers' Rights.

Though Iceland notably earned spot number three on the index, the country has a very low score for animal welfare protection, the report points out, with only the most basic national laws in place to protect animals. On the other hand, Iceland had the highest score for human rights protection in 2014 - although it has gone down since 2012. Iceland also came in sixth for gender inequality and first on the Global Peace Index.

It's also worth noting that while Iceland has its share of over-tourism issues, there are ways to visit the country responsibly, which TravelPulse has written about in the past.

The Netherlands earned the number four position on the index. This should come as no surprise given that human rights in the Netherlands are codified in the Dutch constitution and when compared to other European countries, the Netherlands is often at, or near, the top in international civil liberties and political rights rankings.

New Zealand is famous for its welcoming and accepting attitude and that applies to everyone, from all walks of life. In fact, when rolling out a new travel campaign in 2018 to attract visitors, Tourism New Zealand made a point of highlighting that welcoming attitude.

"We have an egalitarian society. It doesn't matter who you are or what you do, you will be welcomed and accepted here," Brodie Reid, global brand and content manager at Tourism New Zealand, told TravelPulse during a past interview. "That's part of the charm, the gorgeous welcome, and acceptance you have when you come here." All of which should make it no surprise that New Zealand earned the number four spot on the Travel Morality Index.

Another country that's legendary for its quality of life, progressive human rights, concern for the environment and more, the only surprise here is that Canada didn't score higher on the index. Need further proof of Canada's greatness? Just this week the country was once again ranked number one in the world for quality of life by U.S. News & World Report. It is the fourth year in a row Canada has earned that distinction. Overall, Canada also ranked as the third best country in the world for women, and third for education. Hard to beat all of that.

Coming in at number seven on the Travel Morality Index, Belgium is known for its medieval towns and Renaissance architecture. It is also the headquarters of the European Union and NATO. The country also scored fairly well on the U.S. News & World Report ranking for quality of life, coming in at number 11, which put it right behind Germany.

Finland, a progressive country of about 5.5 million, sets the standard in many ways when it comes to morality. It is consistently ranked above average among the world's countries in such areas as democracy, press freedom, and human development.

Human rights in Finland, including freedom of speech, religion, association, and assembly is upheld in law and in practice. Individuals are guaranteed basic rights under the constitution, by legislative acts, and in treaties relating to human rights ratified by the Finnish government. The goals of Finland's international human rights policy - the eradication of discrimination and increased openness and inclusion - are mainstreamed into all foreign policy activities.

This Central European country has long been popular among travelers thanks to its ornate castles, native beers, and the fascinating capital of Prague, which is home to the grand 9th-century Prague Castle. Now globetrotters have another reason to visit, it ranked among the top 10 on the Travel Morality Index.

Denmark rounds out the top-ranked countries on the Travel Morality Index, coming in at 10. The Scandinavian country is home to royal palaces, the Tivoli amusement park and more. The stunning country alsohas a long tradition of supporting and addressing human rights.

Over the years, the government has focused on everything from freedom of expression and religion to eliminating racism, and children's rights. More recently, Denmark's government has turned its attention to corporate social responsibility.

The United States, with all of its various headline-making challenges of late, came in quite far down the list, at number 21, just behind Chile.

On the U.S. News & World Report list, which ranks countries based on quality of life, the U.S. came in at 17, with the report stating that "In 2016 the country elected Donald Trump president. Trump's rhetoric and stances on issues including immigration and foreign trade have raised questions around the world, including from the country's closest allies, about the nation's future course on the global stage."