Oh you Europeans, you are so ahead of us in so many ways. Fair trade travel? Uh, duh. Well, actually what does that mean? Well, to begin with, it’s making sure that employees in the industry are not overworked and are paid a living wage. It takes the same standards that have been used in fair trade organic coffee and goods and applying it to the travel industry. And guess what? A fair trade travel label (now being used in some countries) will allow the traveler to support high ethics in tourism. Europeans are all over it and as in the fashion industry, the U.S. will soon follow.

What can we do? The next time we plan our vacation, let’s do some research and ask some important questions. I know I will.

Check out an example of responsible tourism by clicking here.