( CNN ) -- For those who 've resolved to only spend their tourist cash in up-and-coming destinations with strong environmental and human rights records in 2014 , nonprofit Ethical Traveler has taken care of the research for you . Every year , the California-based team reviews policies and practices in the developing world , then selects the 10 countries that are doing the most to promote human rights , preserve their environments and support social welfare -- all while creating a lively , community-based tourism industry . `` By visiting these countries , we use our economic leverage as travelers to support best practices , '' says Ethical Traveler . In alphabetical order , the 2014 top 10 are : . 1 . The Bahamas . 2 . Barbados . 3 . Cape Verde . 4 . Chile . 5 . Dominica . 6 . Latvia . 7 . Lithuania . 8 . Mauritius . 9 . Palau . 10 . Uruguay . `` Once again , no Asian country qualified for our list , '' says Ethical Traveler . `` The human rights and environmental records of these nations continued to be found wanting . Equally unfortunate is that no continental African country made it onto our 2014 list ; Ghana was removed because of its declining human rights record this year . '' Choosing the top 10 . Ethical Traveler 's research focuses on three categories : environmental protection , social welfare and human rights . `` For each of these categories we look at information past and present so that we understand not only the current state of a country , but how it has changed over time , '' says Ethical Traveler . `` This helps us select nations that are actively improving the state of their people , government and environment . '' Information sources include Freedom House , the Millennium Challenge Corporation , Reporters Without Borders , UNICEF , GLBT resources and the World Bank . `` After identifying about two dozen 'short list ' performers , we turn to detailed case research , focusing on actions these governments have taken over the year to improve ( or in some cases , weaken ) practices and circumstances in the countries , '' says the report . The list has to have something to offer tourists . Each `` best ethical destination '' offers opportunities to check out incredible natural beauty and interactions with local people and cultures in a meaningful , mutually enriching way , says Ethical Traveler . Researchers stressed that just because these destinations made the list , none scored perfect marks . `` This year , the most prevalent bottleneck issues were the treatment of indigenous populations and of gay citizens , '' says the report . `` In particular , Chile and Dominica need to increase their efforts to respect the rights of their indigenous citizens . '' Criticisms include outdated laws criminalizing homosexuality , which are on the books in some of this year 's countries , including Barbados , Dominica and Mauritius . `` However , anti-homosexual laws are laxly enforced in these countries , '' says Ethical Traveler . `` In Dominica , rights groups feel encouraged that the country has started a dialogue on this issue and , while homosexuality is still illegal in Mauritius , recent steps point to positive change . When considering these countries for inclusion in the 2015 list , progress on this issue will receive our attention . '' The full report , in PDF form , can be found on the Ethical Traveler website .
Nonprofit group Ethical Traveler highlights developing nations with promising human rights records . No Asian or continental African countries made the 2014 list . ` The report also notes that a number of countries have been criticized for their treatment of religious minorities, including China, Iran, and Saudi Arabia.