· BIG ISSUES ·
Are Travel Boycotts Ethical or Effective?
Scribbled by Claire ◊ 07 Sep 2024
Have you ever thought about boycotting a country because you do not agree with something that is happening, or that they have done? I think a lot of travellers have, but is boycotting any country ethical or even helpful? Does boycotting make a difference?
I have debated the moral dilemmas of travelling to a country with an oppressive regime or a terrible human-rights record more times than I can count. At the closing of each conversation about travel boycotts, we end up generally concluding that ‘it’s okay to travel as long as you’re educated and responsible’.
I leave each discussion with a sense of unease. That conclusion feels weak – justifying a choice that is ethically questionable because we are fundamentally biased by our wish to visit.
This issue seems a more uncomfortable but no less important dilemma than the often-discussed environmental concerns with travelling – yet it receives less attention. This article aims to explore this question in more depth than any of those conversations with friends.
IN THIS GUIDE //
Are Travel Boycotts Ethical or Helpful?
DEFINING AN OPPRESSIVE REGIME
BRAZIL – AN EXTREME RIGHT-WING MOVEMENT
POLICE BRUTALITY IN THE PHILIPPINES
THE DARK SIDE OF DUBAI
THE MALDIVES – A FALSE PARADISE
CUBA – THE COST OF COMMUNISM
ARE TRAVEL BOYCOTTS ETHICAL FOR OPPRESSED REGIONS?
ALTERNATIVES TO TRAVEL BOYCOTTS – BEST PRACTICE IN OPPRESSED REGIONS
FINAL THOUGHTS
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Defining an Oppressive Regime
You cannot escape it in the media: human-rights violations, state-sponsored terrorism, censorship, corruption – the list goes on. We become accustomed to seeing it; to hearing about it. In terms of the culprits, it would take a long time to list every country that has been associated with such wrongdoings over the course of history. In fact, there are so many countries that, at some point, have committed serious atrocities, it would be far more efficient to list the few that haven’t.
There’s no universal definition for an oppressive regime, but generally it can be defined as a region where there are:
“laws, customs or practices that systematically produce inequalities that oppress specific groups within a society”
This is a very broad definition that covers so many issues. It highlights the number of countries that in some way can be classed as oppressive.
Country Case Studies
Below are five mini case-studies, specifically focussing on countries that we don’t always associate with human-rights abuse and have rarely been the discussion of a travel boycott. These are places people commonly travel to on holiday and ones that have had relatively recent issues:
Brazil
The Philippines
Dubai (I know it’s not technically a country)
The Maldives
Cuba
Select a country above to jump to the section.
Note | the omission of well-known countries like North Korea, China and Israel from this list absolutely does not diminish their wrongdoings.
Brazil – An Extreme Right Wing Movement
Indigenous People and Minorities
Since the appointment of ultra-conservative Jair Bolsonaro in 2018, his administration has been systematically dismantling the human rights of minorities and indigenous people. In one of his campaign speeches, he said:
“We will make Brazil a country for majorities. Minorities must bow to majorities. The Law should exist to defend majorities and minorities must conform to that or simply disappear”
Bolsonaro is accused of inciting genocide against indigenous people, despite the Brazilian constitution declaring their right to land. In March 2020, NGOs and indigenous people reported to the United Nations Human Rights Council that Bolsonaro’s socio-economic policies were dismantling indigenous protections, risking ethnocide and endangering lives, especially of uncontacted groups.
Bolsonaro has claimed that indigenous people possess too much of the country’s land, which is around 13%. In 2020, he unveiled a bill attempting to allow commercial mining on indigenous reservations.
As well as attacks on indigenous people, he attempted to remove the protections that guard incarcerated people from torture by firing all members of the body that inspected detention facilities. He has also called for police to use more lethal force, with huge increases in police related deaths.
Censorship in Brazil
Along with human rights abuses, Brazil’s democratic process has also been under attack from the inside. The administration has been intolerant of any deviation from their far-right views.
A movement called Escola sem Partido (or School without Party) encourages students in educational institutions to report any left-leaning teachers. It claims that many teachers are left-wing radicals and are engaging in social engineering, despite not showing any evidence to support this.
In 2020, Bolsonaro claimed textbooks are ‘garbage’ and should be modified to ‘soften’ the content and promote conservative values. He is quoted as saying:
“From 2021, all the textbooks will be ours, made by us. Parents will celebrate. There will be the Brazilian flag on the cover. The national anthem will be there,”
The censorship and oppression of cultural institutions are also a real and present threat. Brazil’s National Cinema Agency had its funding cut, while the government threatened to shut it down completely if it did not adhere to a ‘content filter’ which ensured content followed ‘traditional family values’.
Environment
Bolsonaro has demonstrated through policies and rhetoric that he is also anti-science and anti-environment. He fired scientist Ricardo Galvão, the head of the National Institute for Space Research for releasing satellite data showing deforestation damage in the rainforests. Galvão said “Our data should never be curbed by political interests”. He has since been replaced by a military official. Bolsonaro said that “I am convinced the data is a lie,”.
In 2020, 11,000 square kilometres of rainforests were cleared, which is the highest in 12 years. The number of fires went up by 16%.
More Recently
Thankfully, Bolsonaro was beaten in the 2023 Brazilian election by the Worker’s Party member Lula (Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva), after a horribly mis-managed Covid response.
The victory by Lula comes as a great relief to many (including the rainforests). However, people were still flocking to Brazil for their vacations during Bolsonaro’s reign, despite the horrendous things that he did and said.
Police Brutality in the Philippines
The Philippines is regarded by travellers as a tropical island paradise, but unfortunately it has been in the news for the past few years for less agreeable reasons. President Rodrigo Duterte’s extreme stance and harmful rhetoric about the ‘war on drugs’ has been making headlines since he launched his anti-illegal drugs campaign in 2016. This campaign has resulted in widespread human rights violations:
◊ A total of 8663 people have been killed, including 73 children with the youngest at only five months old.
◊ House raids by authorities have been executed without due process. Over the course of a year, only 1.2% percent of searches were legally performed with an arrest warrant.
◊ It also allowed the inclusion of individuals on a ‘drug watch list’, often without supporting evidence. Cases of this ‘red-tagging’ of groups or individuals has led to death and harassment.
◊ Widespread fabrication of evidence is suspected by police officers, such as planting guns and false statements. These potentially unlawful arrests on behalf of the ‘war on drugs’ have created a massive overpopulation of the prisons. As of February 2020, prisons were at 534 percent capacity, which is one of the highest in the world.
Near total impunity for the offenders of campaign-related corruption and killings adds to the injustice. The UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights has stated that:
“Persistent impunity for human rights violations is stark, and practical obstacles to accessing justice within the country are almost insurmountable.”
Rhetoric such as ‘neutralization’ and ‘negation’ in reference to ‘drug personalities’ have been used by high-level representatives during the campaign. This could be construed as authorisation or encouragement for law enforcement to use lethal force. The language has also encouraged vigilantes, possibly government sponsored. In response to an NGO, one government minister even tweeted:
“These are f— ing Communists. You shoot them. You don’t listen to them.”
Censorship is a substantial problem and criticism of the campaign is not tolerated. Officials and judges have been removed from their positions and sometimes detained for being critical of the war on drugs policies. Independent news outlets have been victims of intimidation and in some cases, legal action. In 2020, the country’s largest media outlet was forced to halt broadcasting due to government interference.
More Recently
In 2022, Duterte retired and did not run for re-election. He was succeeded by Bongbong Marcos and, although I’ve not done much research into the new guy, it doesn’t necessarily look like much of an improvement.
The Dark Side of Dubai
The United Arab Emirates is undergoing one of the largest construction booms in the world. Consider all those cosmopolitan, glitzy high-rise offices and hotels you see in the media – how did they get there? This increase in construction and the inevitable tourism and wealth associated with it attracts migrant workers from all over the world, especially the Indian subcontinent.
These economic migrants, who make up 80 percent (7.8 million) of the country’s population and 90 percent of its workers, are at substantial risk of exploitation. It is common that these migrant workers are subject to human rights violations despite federal labour laws in place to prevent this.
Worker Rights in Dubai
In the U.A.E., trade unions are not recognised under the labour law (UAE Federal Law No. (8) of 1980), prohibiting the organisation of workers. It is also illegal under the labour law to strike (Article 112). For example, in 2011, 71 Bangladeshi workers were arrested and deported for striking for an increase in pay and overtime that was previously agreed.
Working conditions for these migrants are often hazardous. There are high rates of injury and death in the construction industry, which makes up 40 percent of the total workforce as of 2010. A quarter of companies do not provide their workers with PPE (from a 2002 study of 120 UAE companies). A more recent study from 2012 surveying 130 construction and oil companies found that 71 percent have no worker training and 83 percent admitted not declaring accidents.
Workers are ineligible to switch jobs or companies if they are concerned about a hazardous environment. They only get an employment contract with one company, which if they left would make their employment visa invalid. This frequently means they are required to endure extremely unsafe working conditions or risk deportation.
Passports are typically confiscated upon arrival in the U.A.E. to ensure workers do not abscond. This is in violation of international law but is not enforced. It denies the workers of their freedom of movement and can be considered a form of modern slavery.
It has been reported that migrants live in conditions with up to eight people in a room, not seeing their families for years. There have also been reports from the Indian Government that Indian migrant suicides are increasing.
Construction companies customarily withhold two months of wages (unlawfully) at the beginning of a contract. The workers arrive already in debt to unscrupulous recruitment agents who can charge fees of $2000-$3000 for contracts, visas and flights which are often funded by a loan. The wage payment delays cause the worker to fall into arrears, accruing charges. This non-payment of wages is a widespread problem and against U.A.E.’s labour law, however Human Rights Watch was not able to find a single instance of these breaches being prosecuted. The government appears to be wholly inactive in enforcing the laws itself created.
Human Trafficking
Widespread human trafficking is also a substantial concern. Dubai is considered one of the most prominent sex-tourism cities in the world, known by residents as ‘Sodom-sur-Mer’. In a country made up from 80 percent migrants, exploitation is not surprising. Some estimates put the number of imported sex workers just in Dubai alone at around 45,000, the majority coerced with the promise of alternative employment. A businessman visiting Dubai is quoted saying that people:
“approach them with options of a photo gallery on an iPad or mobile. Everything is very open, as if it were a pizza menu with toppings,”
The U.A.E. has been deemed to not meet the minimum standards for the elimination of human trafficking by the U.S. State Department. Read the entire report if you are interested.
The Maldives – A False Paradise
When you picture the Maldives, what do you see? Is it a picturesque scene of idyllic islands with glistening white beaches and palm trees, surrounded by crystal-clear azure waters? Or do words like censorship, oppression, environmental disaster and ISIS recruitment crop up in your mind? What about the death penalty by stoning?
Despite receiving 1.5 million visitors a year, it appears that few are aware of the challenges facing inhabitants of the Maldives.
Censorship and Discrimination
In 2015, the first democratically elected president was forced to resign by gunpoint. He was then sentenced to 13 years in prison for a politically motivated reason and did not receive a fair trial. It was suggested by his human rights lawyers, including Amal Clooney, that tourists may be asked to boycott the nation in protest.
In 2019, the most prominent human rights NGO in the Maldives, The Maldives Democracy Network, was shut down by the government for ‘slandering Islam’. Amnesty International have deemed the closure ‘a punishment for exercising its legitimate right to freedom of expression’. The Network was known for reporting on police reform, torture, human rights and freedom of speech matters.
Women and the LGBTQ community are under-represented and regularly targeted for harassment, having few rights under law in the Maldives. Extreme sentences have been handed out for adultery, extra-marital sex and birth outside of wedlock. It is also illegal to be involved in any same-sex relationships with a punishment up to eight years in jail and 100 lashes. In 2019, a woman was sentenced to death by stoning for committing adultery. Previously, another woman was handed the same sentence for birth out of wedlock. Thankfully both sentences were overturned by the supreme court.
The Maldives Tourist Apartheid
Crowded living conditions contrast with the paradisiac resort islands. Zaheena Rasheed, Editor of the Maldives Independent, said:
“In no other country would you find that in one lagoon you have an island that is catering exclusively to tourists with all the best services of the first world. Then, right next to it, where the Maldivians live, it’s a slum. There’s no fresh water. There’s no education. There’s no hospital. This is what it’s like for a majority of Maldivians, who live in the atolls”
The huge contrast between residents and tourists is form of tourism apartheid. Although this type of disparity can occur in many places around the world, the Maldives is an interesting case since the resort islands are mostly self-contained. This means the (lack of) rules followed by tourists on resort islands are accepted despite the equivalent behaviour being offensive or even illegal on locally populated islands. Things like bikinis are not always appropriate outside of resort islands, drinking alcohol is prohibited on residential islands, pork is illegal and Islamic festivals are strictly observed by law.
There is often a quality of life disparity between local residents and visitors in many places around the world that tourists enjoy visiting. However, the Maldives is unique in the fact that very few visitors to the islands ever see anything other than their idyllic resort. That means there is very little tourist-resident contact, creating an even larger cultural divide than would have already existed. In resorts, staff are often not allowed to mix with guests and are confined to the provided staff area.
ISIS Recruitment in the Maldives
The Maldives has the highest per capita recruitment rate for the Islamic State in the world. It has been described as a ‘fertile recruiting ground for Islamic State jihadists’ due to widespread poverty, lack of opportunities and vulnerable isolated communities.
The atolls away from populated areas have a particularly poor socio-economic standing, with poverty four times as prevalent and a lack of healthcare and education. The poor socio-economic factors encourage small extremist cells to form on isolated islands.
The 2004 tsunami impacted all but 9 of the 1200 islands, leaving many dead or homeless. This provided an opportunity for radical extremists to take advantage of the remaining susceptible inhabitants. This, along with substantial political upheaval through the 21st century have made ISIS recruitment highly successful in the region.
More recently, COVID-19 has provided ISIS with anti-Western propaganda – claiming the virus is a divine intervention. ISIS also claim that the virus was sent to punish people for the ‘un-Islamic’ behaviour of the tourist industry in the Maldives.
Cuba – The Cost of Communism
We’ve all heard the sentimental phrase ‘you should visit before it all changes’. It is repeated nostalgically about numerous countries across the globe, but none more than Cuba, with the classic cars and beautiful, crumbling old buildings.
Unless you’ve been living under a rock, the fact that Cuba is an isolated, communist country does not come as much of a surprise. The pros of this – outstanding socialised healthcare (albeit lacking equipment), environmental sustainability and free education. However, it is questionable if these outweigh the negatives – poverty (the paltry state salary is $15-$25 per month), lack of opportunity to build businesses and no freedom to travel. Travelling ethically in Cuba is a hot topic and complicated issue. Below are some of the issues you should be aware of if you are thinking of visiting.
Tourist Dollars
From a visitor’s point of view, the dual currencies of Cuba can be confusing. It is a simple concept though, where the convertible peso (CUC) is like a tourist dollar and the Cuban peso (CUP) is local currency. The local peso is worth just 4% of the tourist dollar and most workers are paid in CUP, however state enterprises use an exchange rate of 1:1. Workers in the tourist industry who inherently have access to these tourist dollars tend to be at a financial advantage over other professions, meaning skilled state workers such as doctors, nurses and scientists are switching careers to become taxi drivers and tour guides.
At the time of writing, the CUC is being phased out in order to reduce the financial disparity and inequality the two currencies have caused. This unification after thirty years of a dual economy will cause a new set of complications for local people who were generally paid in CUC. Major adjustments to salaries (positive changes in many cases for state workers), job availability and predicted goods scarcities, combined with a pandemic, will cause instability for the foreseeable future.
Food Security in Cuba
When the Obama administration lifted the ban on travel to Cuba in 2014, tourism boomed with a record breaking 13 percent increase in just one year. As these 3.5 million tourists embarked on trips to a country with a population of only 11 million, the financial benefits of tourism were outstripped by the resulting food scarcity, pricing local people out of their own fare. As per the New York Times:
‘Tourists are quite literally eating Cuba’s lunch’
They reported that a Havana resident, Lisset Felipe, had not bought a single onion or pepper all year. The supplies normally earmarked for local people have been consumed by the ever-increasing number of tourists visiting the island. Private restaurants, often inaccessible to local people, cater exclusively for the vacationers and reduce the already scarce quantities of food.
Currently, although not a consequence of tourism, the food shortage is worse than ever due to Covid-19. Widespread shortages of basic foods such as beans and rice have been consequences of the closing borders, Cuba’s lack of hard currency and U.S. sanctions. Massive queues have become customary outside food stores when certain products, such as cooking oil, become available.
Tourist Segregation
Tourists frequently shell out to experience a more comfortable version of a country. This is not uncommon in any location but is made more apparent in Cuba with a dual economy and a history of legally separating tourists and locals. Until 1997, local interaction with tourists was outlawed – those who did were assumed to be thieves. Although this law was changed, there are still mixed reviews of locals not feeling comfortable speaking with tourists. Certain restaurants cater only to visitors – adding to the sense of separation.
An article from Marketwatch discusses how their ‘government-approved tour guide told us Cubans are very happy, have plenty of food and access to internet, and have old cars because “it’s a point of pride there to collect them”. This is despite common knowledge that trade embargos halt the import of new cars. It is also well-known that internet is not widely available across the country.
Contrary to this rose-tinted, state-approved message, the same article also quotes a Cuban resident who provides a view of tourism from a local perspective:
“Tourists are going to be tourists — they’re going to go and drink their mojitos, and listen to salsa, and eat their nice food — and the ethics of that are questionable,”
José Portela says. He continues:
“There is part of me, and it’s a very emotional part, that feels disgusted by how people go to Havana and stay in these fancy places and eat nice food and have an experience that is manufactured for them. You’re riding in old cars and taking photos of people’s homes that are literally crumbling around them.”
Are Travel Boycotts Effective in Oppressed Regions?
After considering the traditionally touristy countries above, do you have any ethical dilemmas about travelling to them? Would you be tempted to boycott them? Everyone will have different opinions on this, and there’s no definite answer.
In CN Traveler, Pegi Vail, a cultural anthropologist says:
“one must weigh the severity and ethics of any place with the ‘right to visit’ that comes with a traveler’s privileged position”
So, if you consider the severity of an oppressive regime to be uncomfortable, how do you decide if it is sensible to boycott? Asking yourself some honest questions is a decent start:
What is the motivation for your visit? Are you going simply for tourism; as a journalist; or maybe for charity or volunteer work?
Are you comfortable potentially lying about your lifestyle if necessary? Things like your diet, your marital status, sexual preferences or your politics?
Are you willing to follow the local customs, no matter how abhorrent to you? Like appropriate dress, following local religious rules, never discussing certain topics?
Are you okay with accepting that at least a small amount of your money will end up in the ‘wrong’ hands?
Along with these questions, there may be other considerations based on the country in question and your individual circumstances.
My Take
During my time researching this post, there were a few places that highlighted some particularly uncomfortable issues for me as a responsible tourist, such as the Maldives and the UAE.
I’ve also visited three of the five countries listed above since I originally wrote this article: the Maldives local islands, the Philippines and the UAE. Personally, I do not believe there is a benefit to me boycotting these countries.
At time of updating this in 2025, there are only three places in the world I would currently boycott – North Korea, Israel and Myanmar (and the United States for the next four years).
Alternatives to Travel Boycotts
If you choose to visit a country that you consider to have questionable ethical issues, below are some specific examples of ways you could attempt to ensure that your trip has mutual benefit, where the positives of your visit outweigh the negatives.
Compassionate Conversations and the Swapping of Ideas
The exchange of ideas and exposure to foreigners can have an impact on extreme ideological viewpoints over time. I read somewhere that this is like ‘international relations at grassroots level’.
The concept of this is to enact positive change from the ground up (assuming it is necessary – never overstep your boundaries). Your presence could provide real benefit for residents of the communities you visit. This is especially significant if you are ‘off-the-beaten-track’ or staying for a longer period – which is essentially a big chunk of what slow travel is about! A positive change in ideology, for example around child labour and women’s rights, can be cultivated via the collective exchange of thoughts and philosophies.
This benefit can go both ways, for you and the local population. Take home what you learn about the world and the people in it; the oppression, inequality and suffering too, as well as stories of the best meal you ate and the humanity you felt.
Remember, it is not a good thing to just impress your views and beliefs on other cultures without consideration. Check out our overview on sustainability for more about cultural sensitivity and the invisible impact your trip may have. Education and awareness are key here.
Local Donations
Places like Cuba rely on donations from travellers (often visiting family members) to help sustain them.
Items like toys, pens, hygiene products like toothbrushes, clothes, common medications, flip flops and more are all welcome and make a vast difference to struggling populations. By researching in advance (which you should do anyway before visiting any country), you can find out if a destination has a specific shortage or need.
Buy Local
Ensuring your money is going to the right place should be a priority for any ethical traveller.
The best way to do this is by sleeping, eating, shopping and using transport that is locally owned and run. Often, this is simple to do but in some countries, such as Myanmar before 2011 where all hotels were government run, it is not.
Final Thoughts – Travel Boycotts
So, are travel boycotts ethical?
My thoughts: if we refused to travel to any country with a history of human rights abuses, nobody would travel anywhere. Travel is an important, tested method for raising awareness, education and enacting change. To cut that off completely would do more harm than good.
People from struggling communities all over the world want their voices heard, often asking for their stories to be promoted wherever possible. The benefits here are two-fold – empathy is gained and bigotry and prejudice are often squashed in a visitor who has never seen lifestyles different to their own.
However, in my opinion, there are some countries that are worth boycotting, especially when there is no way of avoiding the government’s financial tendrils – but that is a personal choice.
I’m concerned about the potential for a ‘white saviour complex’ vibe to come through on this post, but it isn’t intentional, if it does. I’m definitely not someone who preaches about the unequivocal benefits of tourism without considering the negatives. I just feel that we can all offer each other something, and any benefit we gain from visiting a country with controversial governments or policies should be returned in favour.
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