Is it ok to travel to countries with dubious human rights records? In an increasingly unstable world, travelers often find themselves asking this question. It always comes up when I mention traveling to Turkey or Saudi Arabia. Between the ethnic cleansing and murder of a journalist, these two countries have a smatter of blood on their hands.
They’re certainly not the only ones. I know people who refuse to travel to China over its censorship policies and others who won’t step foot in Russia because of anti-LGBTQ laws. But if we were to start applying morality tests, the entire world would be off-limits.
The morality of visiting countries with dubious human rights records
A few years ago I wrote about how I would never travel to Dubai again after learning about their abuse of migrant workers. Since then, I have traveled to Dubai again. I still think all people should be treated with dignity and respect. What’s changed is my view of how a positive impact is made.
I don’t believe in an isolationist policy when it comes to dealing with morally dubious countries. In fact, I firmly believe cutting off communication between countries or people is detrimental. It allows extremism to flourish and validates the “us vs. them” narrative that is so often perpetuated by leaders of these countries.
By traveling and engaging with ordinary people, you can influence their perspective. You can debunk any misconceptions they might have about people from your corner of the world. Through greater understanding and exchange of ideas, people may feel empowered to change these societies.
Maybe that sounds too idealistic and naive. I’m not saying we can change the world by holding hands and singing around a campfire. There are more impactful avenues of charge. By avoiding certain countries because of the policies or actions of its leaders, we’re doing ourselves (and ordinary people like us) a huge disservice.
Making impactful change
Ultimately, the world’s political problems are solved by those in power. If most of the world didn’t care so much about cheap labor, maybe they would advocate for an end to China’s internment of 1 million Uighurs.
Maybe if our government wasn’t so enamored with weapon’s contracts and oil, King Joffrey wouldn’t feel empowered to hunt down dissenters and murder them in cold blood. Maybe their society as a whole would be more Canada than Gilead if they didn’t have the political and economic backing of powerful world leaders.
There is no moral high ground in abstaining from travel to one country when literally every government in the world has corruption and a growing body count. If we started choosing where we lived or traveled to based on a moral compass, we’d all be lost at sea. Literally, because that would be the only place free of moral quandary (unless you factor in sea life poaching).
I’m not saying we should throw our hands up and not care. But there are more impactful avenues of protest than using your points to sail to less offensive shores. Let your political leaders know where you stand. That you’re not ok with human rights violations and criminal acts going unpunished. And while they may only represent us, we have a kinship with people around the world and what happens to them matters to us.
Final thoughts
This is my long-winded way of saying I won’t avoid traveling to places just because the leaders are corrupt and don’t share my value system. By not traveling to those places, we deprive ourselves and ordinary people in those countries just trying to get by. Many of them probably don’t approve of the oppressive practices of their governments either.
Political and (more substantial) economic pressure can lead to change. The people we vote into office can lobby for it. Whether it’s decisions about who to sell weapons to or whose character they choose to defend publicly, elected officials can make a more substantial difference at our insistence.
I want to hear your thoughts: Do you think it’s unethical to visit countries with serious human rights violations? Why or why not?
Very insightful!
In her memoir, Zainab Salbi, a women’s right activist from Iraq, mentioned that it is often ordinary people, not those in power, suffer from economic sanctions . I consider limiting tourism as a type of economic sanction. When people gets poorer, they will have even fewer resources to stand up against their corrupt government. So unless local people are requesting to limit visit (perhaps for conservation purposes), continue to do what a good tourist do. Perhaps try to stay at a local guest house instead of a chain hotel if possible. That way you are helping out the people who may be exploited by their own government.
Great point. I’m all about economically empowering ordinary people. Boycotts have the opposite effect.
Good write up. Don’t forget Cuba. While folks love traveling there, it remains an oppressive regime that has been a consistent human rights violator over the years.
Agreed and they shouldn’t be left off the hook. But let’s not forget that the situation in Cuba hasn’t changed despite years of sanctions and travel bans. They’ve hurt people, not the government. I do think something positive will come from people traveling there, showing them friendly faces and sharing what’s possible.
Compare that to places like North Korea, where virtually no one is allowed to travel freely. They’ve been told people from the west are evil and conspiring against them – and many of them probably believe it. They might even feel discouraged to dissent because they think they have no allies out there.
Fetching Mrs. K does not want to ride in a rickshaw even though this is the only way for the driver to make a living. We need to feed the locals in any way that we can. Purchase what you can from the locals so they can improve their lot in life.
I didn’t realize you let “J”’s comment the other day in your goals post to get to you like that. His comment was really not worth a whole post.
I replied sarcastically to it because I felt it was what he deserved. I hate to see people flex their self felt moral superiority. He discussed moral inequivalencies but who is the final judge on moral gradients? Him? You? Me?
Any of us can be criticized for the places we visit. Even the most self righteous can never stand up to the scrutiny of their travels.
I invited him to share all the countries he deemed inappropriate so we could judge his morals. He never replied.
I’m not smart enough to know the impact of my visits to foreign countries. I’m likely a bad enough influence in the country I’m already in. Rather than try to figure things out I just live my life. Let others judge if they want….. can’t control that.
It didn’t get to me in a bad way – but this topic has been on my mind before. Years ago I swore off Dubai and then changed my mind. I think most travelers think about the ethics of supporting evil regimes through travel and I thought I’d share my perspective.
Honestly, if moral rectitude of those in power were the only yardstick by which to measure where to travel, then we should have no tourists in the US.
Even Turkey doesn’t put babies in cages.
Sad but true.
hard to get worked up about the US due to the POTUS when other countries are literally killing those who disagree with the Govt apparatus. I mean I guess there are lots of wingnuts like the above poster but Human RIghts violations and killings are real. When people bring up non issues it lessens seriousness of real genocide
You might want to look up the drone strike statistics. Black sites are another fun topic. Oh and the centers on the border where a kid literally died last week in ICE custody.
I think you just confirmed “OrangeBadMan”s point.
Your hatred of the US is showing again. More left wing extremist hate talk infiltrating a travel blog.
Why can’t you just leave your political views to yourself?
Some of us still love our country (USA). And please don’t give me that contradictory BS that you speak out these negative things toward the US cause you love it too!
So you didn’t have a problem with me calling out those other countries, but I mention drone strikes + detention facilities and that makes me hateful towards the U.S?
It’s those realities you should be uncomfortable with, not me mentioning them. This isn’t a fascist state, people should be able to speak freely, and no government is above reproach. If caring about justice over the fragile sensibilities of bureaucrats is “left wing” then clearly there’s something wrong on whatever side you’re on.
I remember sitting at a regional airport in Tehran while my friends went to have a smoke,I had my head phones on listening to music, across the hall I saw a door open and two security men in armor step out into the room and gaze around, there eyes stopped on me and I got a sinking feeling in my gut realizing all they need to do is come over and say come with us and I would disappear through that door. Those kinds of things can happen there. But then it occurred to me that in my country the USA we do the same thing, people disappear and get sent to black sites…I have gone to many countries where the abuse of human rights are terrible. But like you said Ariana in all these countries the people are beautiful and kind and we can learn so much from them. They love it when a westerner visits and looks into there eyes and there smiles and returns the same. It makes them feel they are connected to a bigger world and sometimes long friendships happen. I will go any where my heart leads me.
Isn’t that scary? There was a time when people in the U.S. thought that kind of stuff wouldn’t happen here. Once people started traveling to Iran, in particular, a lot of the evil characterization of everyday Iranians went away. I’ve never been, but every American I know who has traveled there raves about how nice people are. You wouldn’t get that perception from those oft-circulated news clips of “death to America” chants.
Seems there’s a bit of an echo chamber here. If I try to suggest to my wife that we visit Myanmar, I will have a long and scathing lecture about propping up a country that massacres people who happen to belong to a different religion than the majority. I suppose you could just shrug or find some way to justify that, but I prefer to visit countries that don’t murder you for simply believing something different than the local norm.
If you know where to draw the line, you should.
Paternalism is all fine and good, but it never works on dictators. We had that choice in 1776 when King George made his unreasonable demands. We received outside help from the French in the Battle of New York Harbor in the only language George and Cornwallis understood. “Surrender or we will blow your asses off.” This has been the only thing dictators have understood through history. These people can rise up and do the same thing. Until these subjected peoples are ready to put their lives on the line, no outside help will suffice. They may be nice and friendly but only events like Arab Spring or the current rebellion in Hong Kong will profit from outside help. Imagine if the French threatened to withdraw their first class miles tickets and luxury hotels for us because of George.
I don’t quite get why travel bloggers write about ethics. Travel in exorbitant first class suites and apartments should be an across the board disqualifier- unless the result is you learned never to fly them again.
People are selfish- I know I am – why do you have to pretend to morally justify yourself to people instead of just admitting it?
“What’s changed is my view of how a positive impact is made.” — really? I mean, really? I’m more prone to believe that “what’s changed” is that you wanted to go back to Dubai. And maybe you changed your view to accomodate that desire.
I eat at Chick-Fil-A, I’d pet a cheetah cub given the chance (provided it was not physically abused to accomodate the novelty), I travel to Turkey and Dubai and China and wherever the hell I want unabashedly in lavish First Class.
I treat people with respect. I believe in equal rights for all and democracy. I think humans are destroying the planet for animals. But I’m selfish as all can be. And I don’t think travel bloggers are above at least some degree of selfishness. So screw the guy who tries to shame you for using the wrong hair dye. Own up to your selfishness. And take pride in your selflessness.
It’s not about morally justifying myself but to evoke a conversation about a topic that frequently comes up in the travel world. Too many people think avoiding a country is what’s going to change it. Lack of tourism didn’t bring down the USSR and it certainly won’t affect the communist government of China when 90% of the products we consume are made over there.
Anyway, I like your perspective on owning your selfishness. We all have negative qualities and I for one don’t mind people knowing that.