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As Daniel and Martha Everett and their two children enjoyed a trip to Florida's Walt Disney World, their focus was on entertainment and excitement rather than the environment. And when Barbara and Andy Allen checked into a Boston hotel, they wanted to fit as many sights as possible into their two-day visit. They gave little thought to how their stay might impact the ecosystem.

Despite their lack of awareness, these folks were comb

What are the most ethical travel destinations in the world? The California-based nonprofit Ethical Traveler group has just published its top ten for 2014.

The decision is based on a combination of its human rights and social welfare record,  environmental protection including animal welfare, and its appeal as a travel destination. The list includes only nations in the developing world, so you won't see countries such as the USA or Norway on the list, no matter how ethical and appealing they are.

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The latest buzz word eco has unfortunately triggered travel suppliers to saturate the market with hundreds of loosely understood eco holiday-labeled travel products, causing consumer confusion as to what the term ecotourism truly represents. 

Good intentions aside, while travelers want to make responsible vacation purchasing decisions based on ethical environmental standards for sustainability and conservation rather than marketing tactics, some common pitfalls befall most, including:

1. Not understa

It often seems that at least 90% of foreign tourists only step into one part of Indonesia – Bali, the formally Hindu majority paradise just to the east of Java. But by the time I finally took the ferry across the narrow waterway between the two islands, I'd spent three months in Indonesia, all in Java.

I was truthfully, scared to come here. It features heavily in classical writing about Asia, a tropical paradise, Shangri-la, with an amazing unique culture and perfect artistic light. But something

There is no shortage of niche travel labels out there – ecotourism, responsible travel, sustainable travel, ethical travel, experiential travel, mindful travel, real travel, good travel, pro-poor travel, community-based tourism, local travel etc. I suspect, though, that more than just a few of them are either meaningless or confusing to travel consumers. And we know that some of these labels have lost their potency as a result of unscrupulous entrepreneurs' false application of the terms (common

CDS Rural Education Development Organization (Vietnam) is looking for interested volunteers who would like to share their time and talents with the staff and students of our school. Volunteers strengthen and enrich educational programs and foster greater cooperation among all the partners in our rural school community.

Our school welcomes volunteer involvement in a variety of areas and capacities. Volunteers may provide short term or long term commitment to carry out maximum support in improvi

It’s big business, this ecotourism.

It drives entire economies of countries like Kenya, Botswana, Belize, South Africa, Laos, and especially here in Costa Rica.

Ecotourism is top of the list as to why millions of travelers from around the world come to Costa Rica’s tropical paradise each year to see its wondrous landscapes and exuberant biodiversity. Tourism is the number one industry in the country, and with good reason. Though a tiny Central American nation, Costa Rica is a “wonderland”of volcan

A step beyond Eco-tourism? This should be the way to travel, for everyone. Ethical Traveleris a nonprofit organization, founded to "empower travelers to change the world." We seek to use the economic clout of tourism to protect human rights and the environment. When something like this caught your eye, you better not turn away. Surfing the web I came across this interesting website and I couldn't just read, I had to write about them.

What is the purpose of Ethical Traveler?

Ethical Traveler is de

It’s a personal belief so powerful that I sometimes find it hard not to be preachy. Or to ignore others’ lidded gazes, warily gauging me like I’m a circus barker purveying foul-smelling hair tonic. I really must therefore ask: Can anyone explain why many travellers roll their eyes when asked about the value of local or community-based travel (CBT)?

Is it that we can’t work around the same compost-rich uncertainty that also gives ecotourism a bad name despite the growing mass of evidence to the c

When you go on holiday, try to remember the following :

- Dress respectfully and be aware of local standards.

- Dress modestly at the religious sites.

- Before you leave home, check as much as you can about the religions, culture, traditions and local rules of the country you are visiting.

- Favour local foods. Local food is always part of the fun.

- Bargain if it's a local practice but bear in mind that a small amount to you could be very important to the seller

- Shop for local artisan

We used to have a desire to kick back on holiday, but now the desire to give back has moved to the forefront when it comes to booking that dream trip.  Proof that there’s more than one way to join in with the “feel good” factor, the “Travelling Eco-Book Depository” combines the traditional idea of recycling with the ethical mindset of today’s travellers – “reduce, reuse, recycle,” entering the travel sphere. 

Simplistic it may be, but while most initiatives are generally tour operator led, this