THE PACIFIC – Four nations in the Pacific region have made the top ten of a list of the world’s most ethical places to visit.

Each year, California-based nonprofit group Ethical Traveler researches and publishes a list of the 10 most ethical destinations in the developing world.

Each country is reviewed for its performance in the areas of human rights, social welfare, animal welfare, and protection of the environment. That’s not all – a winning country also must have plenty of appeal as a travel destination.

“Though we are diligent in creating this list, we must continually remind ourselves that no country is perfect. All have genuine and often serious shortcomings.

“Each of our winners, however, is making a genuine effort to “do the right thing” in the many areas we take into consideration.

“We sincerely hope that inclusion on this list will motivate them to continue and improve upon their good work,” the Ethical Traveler website reports.

The 2015 winners, in alphabetical order (not in order of merit) are: Cape Verde, Chile, Dominica, Lithuania, Mauritius, Palau, Samoa, Tonga, Uruguay and Vanuatu.

To makes its choices, Ethical Traveler conducts a survey of developing nations – from Afghanistan to Zimbabwe – to identify the world’s best travel and tourism destinations.

Research focuses on three general categories: environmental protection, social welfare and human rights. In 2013, responding to requests from our members, animal welfare was added to the criteria.

For each of the categories, it looks at information past and present to understand not only the current state of a country, but how it has changed over time. This helps in the selection nations that are actively improving the state of their people, government and environment.

Each place selected also offers unspoiled natural beauty, great outdoor activities, and the opportunity to interact with local people and cultures in a meaningful, mutually enriching way.

Tonga, Ethical Traveler says, is taking bold steps to reduce diesel importation, substituting solar for home energy instead. Tonga’s new development plan attempts to balance environmental and economic concerns. In 2015, Ha‘aapai will become Tonga’s first island dedicated to organic farming.

It believes the government has also improved in terms of social welfare and human rights.

“In Tonga, the legacy of a feudal system still raises concerns about corruption and transparency. Since the 2010 democratic elections, however, the new government has worked to implement suggestions from the international community and make improvements in the areas of social welfare and human rights.”

Vanuatu, Ethical Traveler says, has made great progress in recent years in terms of indigenous rights, democratic reforms and protecting victims of domestic violence.

It also has been named the “Happiest Country in the World” by the Happy Planet Index.

“Great news came this year from Palau, a continual star on our list. In a revision of its penal code, the island nation finally decriminalised homosexuality,” the website says.

“Samoa also made a major step to improve LGBT rights by making it legal for a man to dress as a woman.

“Though Samoa lost its spot in 2014 due to a number of serious issues, we’re pleased to return the nation to the winner’s circle in 2015.

“Samoa has set new environmental protection goals for itself, and is now working with the United Nations on biodiversity, desertification, and climate change.

“In addition, the recent Crimes Act outlawed rape within marriage. Domestic violence measures have improved, as have LGBT rights. The Fa‘afafine, traditionally thought of as a “third sex” in Samoa, are now legally allowed to dress as women.

“As mentioned earlier, no country is perfect, and one issue that plagues nearly every country on our list is a high level of gender-based violence. Chile has the highest rate in Latin America, and in Samoa it is so commonplace that most people simply accept it as a way of life.

“Samoa, however, does seem to be making headway on this issue. In 2013 the legislature passed an amended Crimes Act that outlawed spousal rape and improved measures against domestic violence.

Ethical Traveler is an all-volunteer, non-profit organisation. No money or donations of any kind are solicited or accepted from any nations, governments, travel bureaus, or individuals in the creation of its annual list.

“Again, the foundation of ethical travel is mindful travel. We offer these recommendations in the hope that your journeys are enlightening, inspiring and of real value – for yourself and for the people you visit.

“Travel is now the world’s largest industry, with a trillion-dollar annual footprint. This means that travellers have enormous power. Where we choose to put our footprints has economic and political reverberations that reach far beyond our personal experience.

“Ethical Traveler believes that mindful travel offers many rewards, both personal and global. By ‘voting with our wings – choosing our destinations well, and cultivating our roles as citizen diplomats – we promote international goodwill and help change the world for the better.”