Since Earth Day is next week, we figured we'd go green and give a shoutout to those countries that are doing their part to be eco-friendly. But we want to shine a light on destination in the developing world that are making big strides, so we consulted the Ethical Traveler for its annual top-10 list of Best Ethical Destinations.

True, "ethical travel" doesn't necessarily equal "green travel," but each place chosen must show improvement in environmental protection (the other two categories they are judged on are social welfare and human rights). The report states that every destination had to demonstrate "clear indicators of environmental health, preservation of resources, and cultivation of beneficial, sustainable practices."]]> Jennifer Kester 2011-04-13T09:10:43-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2010/9/24/4410/04949

"Indian Summer" by Zoltán Balogh, first-prize winner of the WTD Photo Competition

When we heard that September 27 is World Tourism Day, we were ready to go celebrate, but we didn't know what the heck it was. It turns out that it's an annual event promoted by the World Tourism Organization, a United Nations agency that acts as a forum for tourism policy issues and a source of tourism info.

In particular, the group promotes developing responsible, sustainable and universally accessible tourism, especially in developing countries. To this end, UNWTO marks World Tourism Day to create awareness of how important tourism is to every country's society, culture, politics and economy.]]> Jennifer Kester 2010-09-24T11:39:54-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2010/8/5/31232/45521

You may not be able to travel full time, but now there's a way for you to at least study it full time. Missouri State University is offering the world's first bachelor's degree in geotourism.

National Geographic worked with the university to create the new field of study, which will look at tourism that sustains an area's environment, culture, aesthetics, heritage and the well-being of its residents. The program also will examine the effects of local and global tourism, focusing on enhancing the quality of life of all affected by tourism development. As part of the program, you'll learn about cultural and environmental geography, community planning, development and tourism. ]]> Jennifer Kester 2010-08-05T09:02:13-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2010/5/11/105225/038

If there is one thing you don't expect from a large Caribbean resort property, it's eco-consciousness. Large resort chains love to overdo it with gluttonous wastes of resources all for the pleasure of their guests, without regard for the environment in which travelers find the beauty of an area. Thus, on our recent trip down to Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic, we were thrilled to discover that a couple resorts are putting preservation and eco-travel efforts first, and even cultivating their own organic gardens for their restaurants.

We visited one resort in particular, the PUNTACANA Resort & Club, which has added an eco-park onto the list of their amenities, and it's become quite popular. The park, Ojos Indigenas, with lush vegetation, natural freshwater pools and residents like giant crabs, was discovered by accident and immediately given official protection. It is only open to guests of the PUNTACANA Resort, Tortuga Bay Resort and those with vacation homes in the resort, but if you're visiting the Punta Cana area and want to dive into the cool, fresh waters of one of the pools, you can also access it by taking the resort's segway tour, one of the only such tours in the Dominican Republic. ]]> JetSetCD 2010-05-11T11:25:39-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2010/4/22/102347/406

Kenya makes the eco cut.

On Mother's Day, moms get props, so we figured Earth Day is the perfect time to recognize those eco-destinations around the globe that are doing their part to preserve the environment while simultaneously providing travelers an amazing place to visit.

You might find your next vacation inspiration and you might be surprised by our choices for the Top Five Eco-Destinations Worldwide. Check them out, after the jump ]]> Jennifer Kester 2010-04-22T12:00:26-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2010/4/21/122620/815

Just in time for Earth Day, the Lapa Rios Ecolodge in Costa Rica is offering a special package deal where guests can help out in the conservation of big cats. The ecolodge is set in a private nature reserve spread over 1,000 acres of rainforest, making it a perfect environment for conservation and exploratory research.

As part of this special package, visitors work directly with local wildcat researchers to conserve jaguars, pumas and other animals native to the region. Guests help set up equipment, use cameras to monitor their movement, track and collect footprints. Those who want to get more involved, can learn how to conduct an analysis of the animals' diet or present research findings to local schools and community groups. Guests will also have downtime to enjoy the resort or participate in other activities like hiking, swimming or play a game of soccer with the locals. ]]> cmb 2010-04-21T13:44:52-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2010/3/29/1226/88069

A North Korean underwater mine just blew up a South Korean naval vessel a few days ago, and at the same time as all this tension mounts and the border between Kim Jong-il's communist North Korea and the rest of the world starts to shake, we hear that South Korea is turning some of the Demilitarized Zone into an ecotourism hotspot.

The DMZ has been around since 1953, keeping the two Koreas separated by an untouched area of land 155 miles long and 2 miles wide. Any person setting foot into the area, outside of specified paths and heavily-guarded roads, can be considered to be invading the other side and can be shot on sight. Nonetheless, the UN joint security area at Panmunjom, just north of Seoul and manned by both US and Republic of Korea soldiers, has been bringing tourists to the DMZ for years. We've been there ourselves recently and can say that although more ecotourism is great, we're not so sure about exploiting this controversial area further.

DMZ photos and more, after the jump! ]]> JetSetCD 2010-03-29T10:30:13-05:00 Search Jaunted string http://www.jaunted.com/search/