This was published 1 year ago
Travel boycotts: There's only one question you should ask before you visit a country
By Lee Tulloch
Lee Tulloch boycotted Egypt over the jailing of Australian journalist Peter Greste.Credit: Getty Images
I've only been to Egypt once, a few months before the pandemic, and it was one of the most outstanding journeys of my life. The unfathomable richness of its history and treasures, the beauty of the Nile, the fabulous food and the buzzy energy of cities like Cairo and Alexandria, meant it leapt high on the list of my favourite places in the world.
It took me a long while to get there. In 2015, as a reaction to the wrongful jailing of Australian journalist Peter Greste and other political prisoners, and to the ongoing sexual harassment of women, I'd placed a personal boycott on the country. I felt I'd be endorsing the authoritarian Egyptian government by going there.
So why had I finally decided to go four years later? Greste had been released, which was my trigger to lift my ban, but others remained incarcerated for their political views. Egypt was still ruled by the oppressive el-Sisi regime. Not much had changed. But I gave in to curiosity.
Qatar's human rights record has come under scrutiny ahead of the FIFA World Cup.Credit: Getty Images
As we travelled through the country, it was clear the local people wanted us there. Political unrest had scared away tourists, so we were greeted with warmth approaching delirium. Our guide, an academic, spoke honestly about politics, in a way that brought a nuance to the discussion I couldn't get from newspaper reports.
I wondered then, as now, if my personal boycott had been pointless, apart from making me feel better. Who was I punishing by not going? The people who depended on my tourist dollars or the authoritarian government, who wouldn't have known about my stance, and certainly not cared?
Egypt is again in the headlines. COP27 is currently being held in Sharm el-Sheikh and the climate conference has once again brought a blowtorch to the Egyptian government's human rights abuses. Several delegates, including Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg, have expressed solidarity with "prisoners of conscience" in Egypt and have boycotted the event.
Another country under similar scrutiny right now is Qatar, the host of the 2022 Fifa World Cup, which begins on November 20. Billions have been poured into the event, which Qatar hopes will attract business and tourism and showcase the country's modernism.
Qatar is so concerned for its image that it is flying in fans in return for positive social media commentary. But there's the inconvenient fact that an estimated 6750 migrant workers have died since Qatar won the rights to host the cup, many in the construction of the stadia. Then there's the persecution of LGBTQI people, which the Australian Socceroos have commendably protested.
Saudi Arabia is another nation undertaking a massive and eye-wateringly expensive effort to attract tourists, including hosting controversial golf competitions with rich prizes. It seems to be working - archaeological site AlUla is the new "hot" destination.
Forgotten entirely in many glowing travelogues is what Human Rights Watch calls "unrelenting repression" and the coalition the autocracy has been leading against Yemen since 2015.
Do we vote with our wallets and express our disapproval by not going to these places? Or do we accept that as tourists we might have a small part to play in improving the lives of the people we visit?
We know tourism can build bridges of understanding between people that governments can't. People want and need to tell their stories and travellers who listen are a way of spreading ideas like seeds around the world. The most repressive regimes are also the ones that close themselves hardest to foreigners for this reason, afraid of the power of words and human connection.
People are not regimes. They are often victims of them, especially where they have no say in their government. I think the key is to travel in a way that benefits the people who need help the most. They are not usually government officials.
We might do this through friendly solidarity, listening to people's stories, spending money with their businesses and making sure tourism dollars don't go into the back pockets of corrupt government officials by choosing independent hotels and tours.
We have a moral responsibility to engage, not just view a destination from a tour bus or the top floor of an international hotel and see only what the government wants us to see. Don't fall for propaganda.
I'll let the writer Pico Iyer have the final word: "The only question to ask before visiting a place is whether the locals at the other end would rather see you or not."
lee.tulloch@traveller.com.au
Sign up for the Traveller newsletter
The latest travel news, tips and inspiration delivered to your inbox. Sign up now.