The most responsible tourist destination in 2025 has been revealed in the latest Good Trip Index.

Denmark overtook Switzerland for the top spot based on its commitments to women’s safety, quality of life, and press freedoms. It places just in front of neighbouring Norway and Sweden, which both scored highly in rankings on democracy and animal welfare.

Launched in 2022, the annual Good Trip Index by travel services company Holiday Extras ranks destinations on their performance on issues that are important to British travellers including LGBT+ travel, press freedom, democracy, animal welfare, quality of life, women’s peace and security, and sustainability.

“We created the Good Trips Index to take the hassle out of finding responsible travel destinations for our customers, who tell us in ever-greater numbers that ethical considerations play a large part in picking where they go on holiday,” said Elizabeth Hogg, chief operating officer at Holiday Extras.

Read more: The best hotels in Copenhagen for sleek design and trendy bars

According to the report, 7 in 10 travellers maintain that human rights is a key consideration when they decide where to go on holiday, while for half of those asked, the environmental impact of a trip is significant.

Alongside Scandinavia’s success, Finland, Luxembourg and Germany are some of the best destinations to choose if sustainability is an important consideration for you.

Switzerland and Sweden share the top spot for animal welfare considerations, while New Zealand ranks best for the LGBT+ travel, according to the index.

With high scores in quality of life and women’s rights indices, the United Kingdom currently sits at 17th place.

open image in gallery

Read more: Best LGBT+ friendly wedding anniversary locations

This year’s index also saw marked rises in the positions of Brazil and Colombia in South America where improvements to democratic accountability and press freedom have landed them in positions 53 and 68 respectively.

As the third season of The White Lotus makes Thailand one of this year’s most popular travel destinations, sun seekers will be pleased to see it rise 13 places with progress to LGBT+ travel.

Switzerland lost its lead with lower scores for democracy and quality of life, while this year Ireland dropped out of top 10.

At the bottom of the list are Afghanistan, Myanmar and Iraq which score poorly on LGBT+ travel, sustainability and women’s rights.

Read more: 10 US cities for solo female travellers you might not have considered

Ms Hogg said: “As world events lead holidaymakers to look into the impact of the destinations they choose to visit and how to enjoy our time in the destinations with as good an impact as possible.

“It has never been more important for holidaymakers to do their research, and the Good Trips Index - alongside a host of other resources we provide our customers – makes it as easy as possible to holidaymakers to make informed decisions, and get the most out of their holiday.”

Read More