By Aaron Humes: The California-based Ethical Traveler magazine has listed Belize among its countries most likely to benefit from our travel dollars in a post-pandemic world.
A former Ethical Destination award winner, the magazine reviewed its list of recent winners to determine which has the most impressive record among developing nations for their commitment to human rights, social welfare, and environmental protection.
The magazine says there is hope for recovery from COVID-19, but not overnight, particularly for international travel, which employs one of every ten worldwide. Spending your dollars in Belize will help them leave the pandemic behind more quickly and reward their efforts.
The other honorees, in alphabetical order, are Benin, Cape Verde, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Jamaica, Mongolia, Nepal, The Gambia, and Uruguay.
“Though the travel suggestions in this report may seem wishful, they are actually aspirational, because this much is certain: Travel will return,” says Ethical Traveler’s executive director Jeff Greenwald. “And when we visit countries like these, which have taken extraordinary steps to confront the pandemic, we’re expressing our admiration and support in a tangible way.
Adds Greenwald, “If COVID-19 taught us one thing, it’s that our borders are imaginary. We are the inhabitants of a small planet, stunning in both its beauty and fragility. We can survive as a species only by taking care of each other. This begins with knowing each other. Travel and exploration – whether to the reefs of Belize, the steppes of Mongolia, or the volcanoes of Cabo Verde – brings more than a new awareness of ourselves. It shows us what it means to be human.”
Ethical Traveler is a project of the Berkeley-based Earth Island Institute. The mission of Ethical Traveler – “Empowering travelers to change the world” – highlights the economic clout of travel and tourism to protect human rights and the global environment.
Source: https://www.breakingbelizenews.com/2021/02/16/belize-among-2021s-ten-best-post-pandemic-destinations/
