Sri Lanka is not included in the list of Ethical Travel Destinations for 2014.
Ethical Traveler conducts a survey of developing nations—from Afghanistan to Zimbabwe— to identify the world’s best travel and tourism destinations. “We begin our research by focusing on three general categories: Environmental Protection, Social Welfare and Human Rights. For each of these categories we look at information past and present so that we understand not only the current state of a country, but how it has changed over time. This helps us select nations that are actively improving the state of their people, government and environment. ” says Ethical Traveler.
According to the CNN, Every year, the California-based team reviews policies and practices in the developing world, then selects the 10 countries that are doing the most to promote human rights, preserve their environments and support social welfare — all while creating a lively, community-based tourism industry.
“By visiting these countries, we use our economic leverage as travelers to support best practices,” says Ethical Traveler in its latest report publsihed on December 02, 2013.
In alphabetical order, the 2014 top 10 are:
1. The Bahamas
2. Barbados
3. Cape Verde
4. Chile
5. Dominica
6. Latvia
7. Lithuania
8. Mauritius
9. Palau
10. Uruguay
“Once again, no Asian country qualified for our list,” says Ethical Traveler.
“In this first phase of our process, we consider country scores from a variety of databases related to one of the three categories, using information from sources like Freedom House, the Millennium Challenge Corporation, Reporters Without Borders, UNICEF, GLBT resources and the World Bank. After identifying about two dozen “short list” performers, we turn to detailed case research, focusing on actions these governments have taken over the year to improve (or in some cases, weaken) practices and circumstances in the countries. This year, responding to requests from our members, we also added Animal Welfare to our list. Although this issue not as codified in our candidate nations as it is in fully developed countries, we found the research revealing.” it said in its report.
Read the full report here
Palmsquirrell / December 14, 2013
About 2 years back I quite enthusiatic about selling Ceylon as a tourist destination to friends in the US and was even intending on bringing my best friends over. Not anymore though, seeing as how tourism just benefits the Regime to hold on to power.– This is a hard choice because most Lankans are suffering from cost of living and tourism is vital but at the same time it empowers the Regime. So while I am not for a complete boycot of Lanka , I won’t be speaking warmly about Lanka to Americans either.
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Lanka Rani / December 15, 2013
Tourist-military business is what Sri Lanka has and NO ethical travel is possible particularly to the northeast of the island.
All the prime coastal properties in the east and north and indeed rest of the country have been grabbed by the military, navy, air force and Rajapassa cronies.
The indigenous people of these areas (Tamils and Vanniatto or Veddha communities) have been driven away and their homes and lands grabbed. Passikudha where Basil Rajapassa Mr. 10 percent has his 400 room luxury hotel on the prime beach front is built of land grabbed from Tamils and with looted funds.
High spending western tourists who loot for cultural and boutique hotel experience will avoid Lanka like the plauge. Rather the country attacks casino and drug lords and cheap Indian and Chinese tourists.. That not a single country form Asia, including sleazy Singapore with its Casino and grand prix tourism that caters to gross conspicuous over consumption, whose PM, Lee Hsein Loong, was in Colombo for CHOGM and to pat Rajapassa on his ass despite all the Singapore tourism advertising made it on this list for ethical tourism. This is indeed a truly ethical list.
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Dude / December 16, 2013
True indeed! Tourism Military Business is extensive – Navy is into dolphin tours and Golf Clubs, Army into Hotels, cafes and Casino, Air Force into travel agencies and tourism air tours, all are into illegal cutting down of forests and trees to make money and grab lands for hotels and soon there will be no forests or elephants and wildlife left for tourists to see..
Outfits like John Keels that have some hotels are running behind the corrupt regime for tax breaks because there is no space for civilian businesses to work in with the Rajapassa cronies control of the whole economy and CORRUPTION and fraud massive. There is no ethical tourism in Sri Lanka today..
Voila the debacle of Asia with so many Hotels and NO TOURISTS!
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Palmsquirrell / December 16, 2013
All the big business ventures are enablers of the regime , because they fear losing their wealth if they oppose the regime. — Sri Lanka is truly fascist because the regime controls the Armed forces and the economy and has support from Nationalist Monks.
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Peter Casie Chetty / December 17, 2013
What did you have to say when the LTTE were running the place? Were there any tourists then? For thirty odd years? No roads no water no rpoper sanitation? You shpould have your head examined by a dog surgeon.
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Sonali / December 19, 2013
I wonder how many even know there is a Ethical Travel Destination List. All tourists want is value for money. They are not immigrating to Sri Lanka. So say what you want, it won’t stop tourists coming as long as they enjoy their holiday and get their moneys worth.
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Thiru / December 14, 2013
Unethical, immoral rulers and their genocidal actions bring disrepute and outcast status to Sri Lanka: I understand economic sanctions may be applied after March 2014. That may be the reason Mahinda Sinhala Rajah is taking his hurried overseas trips before then. Hail Mahinda!
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Fathima Fukushima / December 15, 2013
Stop the genocide of Tamil men and genital-o-cide of Tamil women.
After sanctions all Tamils will get it in return. No condoms to protect the daily Tamil women victims either!
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Dude Cruz / December 15, 2013
Dude Fat Fuk, you sound terrified – sanctions will be just the beginning of the end for Rajapassa and his emerging military dictatorship.
The Debacle of Asia will be there for all to see and there will be NO tourists – and the war crimes trial in the Hague draws near!
All educated Lankans who know that Rajapassa is turning the country and its Education system into a HUB OF IGNORANCE will cheer the end of the corrupt and criminal Mahinda Rajapaksa regime.
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Peter Casie Chetty / December 17, 2013
No problem you dumb bell. The tourism will not stop just because you rant on and on. There are more destinations but they still come to Sri Lanka. The Mauritius Islands have people without any real culture. Sex sex and sun is not only what the world wants.
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Rationalist / December 14, 2013
Tourists do not want to see what they can have without leaving their own overdeveloped countries. They want to experience and enjoy the simplicity of true Human Beings. Our ‘newrich’ Politicians think that what they see on their free trips abroad, are what foreign tourists want too.
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j.muthu / December 14, 2013
Good one next economic sanctions, rajapakse thugs travel ban. war crime court in haique. Life for war criminals….
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Siva Sankaran Sarma / December 15, 2013
Yes yes Muthu, all that’s in store for the 100+ other countries which didn’t make the list either. Defeated LTTE monkeys have to get their ‘victories’ where they can I suppose :D
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j.muthu / December 15, 2013
calm down Sinhala modaya, u time is up….cant deceive the world…have some sweet dreams…
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mechanic / December 16, 2013
Go to T Nadu for ethical travel and have your pipe dream..
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Palmsquirrell / December 16, 2013
Why do you hide behind a non Sinhala name.
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Peter Casie Chetty / December 17, 2013
Where does you name come from? Primates?
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Amarasiri / December 14, 2013
Drar Ethical Traveller,………………………….
“Once again, no Asian country qualified for our list,” says Ethical Traveler……………………………………………..
You also need to compile the unethical country list and rank them..
..
Once again, no Middle Eastern country qualified…………….
Once again, no Western-European former imperial colonial country qualified .
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sinhala friend / December 14, 2013
Our Tamil friend are the main tourist to Srilanka,
It does not matter if ethical or non ethical. Our Tamils friends uses all sort of excuses to claim refugee status in other countries. They wait for few years and get the nationality of those countries where they claimed refugee.
once they have got the Nationality , they are the frequent tourists to SRILANKA. Once they come back from Srilanka they would say everything is fantastic over there. Encourage other ”bogus refugee become citizens” to visit SRIlanka. They easily forget the past lies. Not only that, they would work for Srilanka to expand their business too. They would not not say anything against Srilanka
We Srilankans are lucky as long as these Tamils friends are around. No doubt they would be there all the time.
We need them until we continue our genocide and sinhalinise their home land? TAMILEEEEELam.
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Fathima Fukushima / December 15, 2013
Stop the genocide of Tamil men and genital-o-cide of Tamil women.
That shameless Mervin Silva tried to do it to Navi Pee-illey. What shame!!
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Thiru / December 15, 2013
Fatima keep your legs together
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JimSofty / December 16, 2013
Thiru, [Edited out]
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mike / December 16, 2013
JimNutty, you are edited out!
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Peter Casie Chetty / December 17, 2013
Right and they still long to come “home” and to the Rajapakses!
Wait till the law catches up with these criminals and they will all be seeking refuge in Sri lanka.
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Andre / December 15, 2013
Thanks go to Rajapakshe family and his brother in law – Current chairman of Srilanken Airlines.
This is one of the great news – about going to be WONDER IN ASIA.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
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Amarasiri / December 15, 2013
Andre,…………………………………………………………
This is called the Rajapaksa family Values, that is not considered ethical by all standards, except the Rajapaksa Family Standards and Sinhala Buddhist Racist Standards…while the so-called Sinhala “Buddhist? monks look on………. Buddha where are you……no Nibbana in Lanka…. thanks to racist monk Mahanama…..and others
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Fathima Fukushima / December 15, 2013
No wonder!
SL is the rape island of the world where Tamil women are raped every day by the army in hundreds.
Within another 10 years all Tamil women in SL would have been sexually abused by the army.
It is totally unsafe, immoral and uncivilized for Tamils. Please Tamils don’t go to the rape island unless you want it from big ugly stinky Chinkalam modaya army men!!
(But they are fairer skinned than Tamils which is why most Tamil women are fatally attracted to them.)
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Palmsquirrell / December 15, 2013
Sinhalese are dark skinned. Barely any difference in skin color, unless you are one of those inferiority complex 3rd worlder who thinks he is hot sh@t because he is ever soo slightly fairer than some other people around him , though in the global sphere he is still a dark skinned person. — If Sinhalese are noticeably fairer, they have a conquering male Aryan or European in their male blood line, harldy anyhing to be proud of.
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AVB / December 15, 2013
Every word Fathima says has the smell of BBS, and words also shows her strong lust towards BBS leader, thug Gannasara… (mistress ?)
Go on Fathima… keep insulting the poor majority of Siri lankan by trying to be their spokeswomen…
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Abhaya / December 15, 2013
yes yes this is the very first indicator I look for before I travel . lmao..
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SIRIMAL / December 15, 2013
For sure, regime apologists like you would check it .. but all others have to. Guys of your kind get the chance to visit the country once in 8 years..if I got it right from previous posts, but tourists and us those who have been regular visitors to the country are well concerned of the security standards of the country. I would not ADVISE any one known to me to chose lanka as the destination if the situation would further worsen.
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SIRIMAL / December 15, 2013
For sure, regime apologists like you WOULD NOT check it
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Spring Koha / December 15, 2013
We don’t have to worry about ‘Ethical Traveller’. I said it before and I’ll say it again; tourists will come here regardless, IF the price is right. In any case, if westerners get squeaky, then, not to worry, our new Chinese, arab and Indian friends will come in their thousands. This way our locals will get up to speed in mandarin, arabic and hindi.
Only our street balu-kukka’s will disappear into the sweet and sour.
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sadith / December 15, 2013
Ethical whaaat !!!!!! who cares about this crap, What is important is that, what the world’s elite travel magazines such as Lonely Planet, National Geographic Traveller says. Sri Lanka is among the top 10 in the best destination list for 2013. So ethical crap take a hike. From western Europe there are about 20,000 visitors to SL every month, this shows what is important is the quality of the destination not this crap.
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JimSofty / December 16, 2013
These crap reviews are good for people who don’t have self confidence, self esteem. So, worship and kneel in front of what these barbarians say
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Point of View / December 17, 2013
Self esteem ????
Do you know the meaning, you nut case ?
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Rohan / January 15, 2015
Dear Colombo Telegraph,
Thank you for posting or re-posting these hard to find articles.
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