There was a discussion on a Facebook group I belong to about whether we should make our travel choices based on the politics of the government of where we’re considering visiting.
Specifically, a woman expressed her dismay about a travel blogging conference being held in Sri Lanka, a country she believes has a record of “abusing and disempowering their own people.”
I don’t know enough about Sri Lanka to say whether her observation is true or not but I do think about this very topic when I consider my future travels and wonder if travel and politics can mix. I think about this a lot with regards to China.
I have very little interest in visiting China save for a small desire to visit the remote West. The large cities, pollution and traffic in the eastern part of the country put me off for sure. But the truth is I somehow can’t get beyond what the government did and continues to do in Tibet and what they did at Tiananmen Square. Of course there is also the ongoing wide scale abuse and suppression of the vast majority of the population (my opinion).
The argument is often made that a country’s people are not their government and, as such, I’m sure there are plenty of really nice people in China. But so far I haven’t found a good enough reason to go there. A reason that allows me to get past my dismay over the government’s policies.
Meanwhile, I’ll admit I visit countries where the government treats their people abysmally in other ways. Papua New Guinea comes to mind.
PNG has one of the most corrupt governments in the South Pacific and the Prime Minister is currently trying to hold on to power while accusations of corruption have been lingering for months. Still, I love this country and it remains on the top of my list of favorites.
It’s also a place that’s helped by tourism because it provides revenue for the locals. This is a significant point when you consider the cities have upwards of 80% unemployment. But also by traveling there, we receive an education about the culture, the history and the abuses of power. Perhaps someday our knowledge and the sharing of that information will put enough pressure on the government to change. Or, better yet, perhaps by having exposure to those beyond their borders, Papua New Guineans will feel empowered enough to create change themselves.
If we made our travel choices based on politics and the perceived or real abuse of power by a government, we’d never go anywhere. OK – maybe we’d go to Canada, but then there’s that whole Rob Ford thing.
I’m not saying the politics of Canada and Sri Lanka (or PNG) are the same in terms of how citizens are treated but I am saying that if we look hard enough we can find cracks in the system most everywhere.
We all have our judgements about destinations and we’ll all have different experiences to take home with us–both good and bad.
But ultimately, one of the most important factors of travel is how we represent our own country. We do not embody the Obama or Bush administrations (or Rob Ford’s for you Canadians), but we do act as a kind of ambassador that might ultimately influence how others see our home nation.
By making connections with the locals (not just other travelers), we allow for an exchange that far exceeds politics.
Do you make travel decisions based on politics?
Travel Well,
Beth
Photo credit:
Free Tibet – Jose Mesa
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