While the big European economies are making a comeback, planners looking at emerging destinations in developing nations of course still have a wealth of options. While emerging destinations' meeting facilities, activities, and distance remain paramount concerns for planners, one organization is aiming to add another criterion to this list of considerations: a country's ethics.
Since 2006, the nonprofit organization Ethical Traveler has released its annual list of "World's Best Ethical Destinations," compiling demographic data, government policies, and recent developments and initiatives to create a list of ten winners. The group promotes these developing nations as making strides in how they treat their people and environment -- and recommend that travelers take this into account when selecting where to hold their meeting.
"It would behoove a corporation to hold its convention or meeting at one of the countries on our list," says Jeff Greenwald, executive director of Ethical Traveler and an author who writes about travel and human rights issues. "They can know the money spent on hotels and activities is going to benefit the people and these efforts."
The countries selected for this year's list are:
--The Bahamas
--Barbados
--Cape Verde
--Chile
--Dominica
--Latvia
--Lithuania
--Mauritius
--Palau
--Uruguay
To create the list, Ethical Traveler conducts a survey of developing nations, from Afghanistan to Zimbabwe, to determine which perform strongest in four general categories: Environmental Protection, Social Welfare, Human Rights, and (newly added this year) Animal Welfare. To assess a destination's performance in these categories, the group's executive team and advisory board reviews data and developments in each country over time to track improvements made in the lives of the nation's people, government, and environment.
Among the data considered are country scores from sources including the Freedom House, Millennium Challenge Corporation, Reporters Without Borders, and UNICEF. For example, the Bahamas was selected for the list this year because it received high ratings on its political rights and religious freedom, ranking high on the Freedom of the World Index. They are also part of the Caribbean Challenge Initiative, which creates trusts to assist in park management throughout the region, and expanded the Andros West Side National Park.
"Bahamian school children go through a program with the international parks where they are trained to learn about and appreciate the environment," adds Greenwald.
Ethical Traveler is not the only organization taking steps to raise awareness among travelers and meetings groups about social and environmental issues affecting the destinations they visit. In March, the United Nations launched a travel-centric campaign to combat trafficking of people, wildlife, cultural artifacts, illicit drugs, and counterfeit goods. Called "Your Actions Count -- Be a Responsible Traveler," the effort is being done with the support of Marriott International and Sabre Holdings.
As corporate social responsibility has gained increasing interest from groups, Greenwald believes that organizations are more interested than ever in using their meetings to help make a positive impact.
"The community of travelers is the world's largest political action group," he says. "Whether it's Iceland, Israel, or Peru, you feel an investment in the country and their well-being, so why not put those sensibilities toward helping preserve the environment of those countries, or making sure they are in a good place as far as social welfare and human rights?"