Ethical Tourism: Travel with Values, Respect & Integrity
Tourism can uplift or exploit. It can protect cultures or commodify them. It can empower communities or displace them. Ethical tourism means making conscious choices that honor human dignity, animal welfare, and cultural integrity.
When Tourism Loses Its Moral Compass
Tourism employs 1 in 10 people worldwide and generates $9.6 trillion annually. But behind the glossy brochures, serious ethical questions persist.
Human Rights
- Are workers paid fairly? Do they have safe working conditions?
- Are Indigenous communities consulted — or displaced — by tourism development?
- Does tourism fuel exploitation (child labor, sex tourism, human trafficking)?
Animal Welfare
- Are animals kept in captivity for entertainment?
- Do "wildlife experiences" cause stress, injury, or death to animals?
- Does tourism fund conservation — or harm it?
Cultural Integrity
- Are cultures respected — or performed for profit without consent?
- Do communities benefit economically — or are they gentrified out?
- Are sacred sites honored — or treated as Instagram backdrops?
Economic Justice
- Does tourism revenue stay local — or leak to foreign corporations?
- Are small businesses supported — or squeezed out by chains?
Ethical tourism asks: Is this the right thing to do? Not just "Is this sustainable?" but "Is this just, fair, and respectful?"
Our Approach
Grounded in Human Rights
Our content is anchored in the UN Global Code of Ethics for Tourism, the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, and international labor and human rights standards.
Wildlife Protection
We provide clear guidelines on ethical wildlife tourism: no captivity entertainment, no harmful interactions, only experiences that support conservation and animal welfare.
Community-Centered
We highlight fair trade tourism, community-based enterprises, and practices that ensure economic benefits reach the people who host us — not just corporations.
Explore Our Guides
What is Ethical Tourism?
Understand the moral dimension of travel: definitions, principles, and how ethics differs from sustainability.
Read the full guideEthical Tourism & Human Rights
Explore labor rights, fair wages, protection of vulnerable groups, and how tourism can advance — or violate — human dignity.
Discover connectionsEthical Wildlife Tourism
Learn what makes wildlife experiences ethical, red flags to avoid, and how to support genuine conservation.
Read guidelinesEthical Tourism in Crete
A practical guide for traveling ethically in Crete — supporting communities, respecting culture, and protecting nature.
Explore Crete guideEthics in Practice: CRETAN's Community-Based Tours
CRETAN, a small tour operator in Crete, Greece, demonstrates ethical tourism principles in action:
Fair Employment
All guides locally hired, paid above industry average, with year-round contracts
Community Benefit
Revenue-sharing with village councils; meals at family tavernas, not chain restaurants
Cultural Respect
Tours co-created with local cultural associations; photography ethics taught to guests
Animal Welfare
No animal rides, no captive wildlife; nature experiences follow Leave No Trace principles