Would you rule out a country as a holiday destination based on its political system?

[Takoneko]

Just curious as to whether others have any “rules” about which countries they would or would not visit based on their politics?

I only ever visit democracies and would rule a destination out if it wasn’t at least in the “flawed democracy” category on the democracy index and wouldn’t want to even transit through an “authoritarian” country. In fact I’ve paid significantly more for flights to avoid giving money to airlines operating out of authoritarian countries.

For example, I’ve been to Taiwan and Hong Kong but would not go to mainland China or use a Chinese airline (and I probably wouldn’t go back to Hong Kong now), I also think Baku looks beautiful but would not go to Azerbaijan, would love to see the Pyramids and Valley of the Kings but won’t go to Egypt etc.

I don’t think l’ve ever noticed anyone else listing it as a consideration for a holiday destination on here. Am I unusual or are there lots of us who have a similar red line?

In some ways it’s a bit of an arbitrary line to draw, I don’t examine the origins of everything I buy and probably buy tons of things that are made in China but draw my line at going there. I’m not judging people who draw their line somewhere else… I was just wondering whether it’s an unusual criteria when choosing a holiday.

It is an interesting discussion, most western countries sell arms to a lot of third world and Middle Eastern countries! Directly responsible for dictators to hang on to power.
I don't go to places where I feel it is not safe for me. As a coloured person, I am not comfortable going to Eastern European countries.

Yes. Racism and racist attitudes are also very much determining factor in choosing holiday destinations. Sadly.

100% agree OP. Very choosy about my holiday destinations based on politics etc. The flaw with this is that I do not know who owns the hotels or big establisments in some of the places I visit. It would well be owned by wealthy foreign investors from countries I would never visit. How far should one's due diligence go?

Dubai is frequently mentioned on here as somewhere posters would never visit and judge those who do.
However, posters write in glowing terms about Cuba which has a poor human rights record, political opposition is forbidden and the 2021 protests were brutally repressed with protestors imprisoned without a trial.
How anyone with a political conscience thinks Cuba is an acceptable place to visit is beyond me.

I see how it can be hypocritical to visit Cuba but it’s only by visiting you can really appreciate what it’s like.
I tipped a lot (in hard currency) when I was there. Tips from foreign tourists improve the quality of life for some locals considerably. So that’s how I justified it.

Tips from foreign tourists improve the quality of life for some locals considerably. So that’s how I justified it.

Fair enough.

A friend of ds’s works for a travel agency which specialises in South & Central America. They are now planning on starting trips to Venezuela.
Venezuela has an appalling government and so I don’t know whether going there is condoning the government or, as you say about Cuba, the citizens can be helped by foreign tourism.

No, but realistically there are so many other places to go.

Budapest is regularly cited on Mumsnet as a wonderful place to go on a city break.

While this is true - there were loads of things to do, fantastic food, easy to get around - we also went in an election year and honestly the politics was hard to escape.

In the taxi arriving from the airport - billboards all along the motorway with antisemitic messages about George Soros.

Stumbling across silent protests about discrimination against minorities such as Jews or LGBTQ people.

Going through a museum and finding exhibitions had been put on about Christians being persecuted by Muslims.

Checking exactly where in Hungary a beautiful exhibit was from and discovering it was in Romania - and then realising all the museums had to say everything was Hungarian culture and make out Hungary should still be ruling half of Eastern Europe.

Once you had seen one thing, you started to see it everywhere. I won't be going back.

I'd say it's more about religion/culture than politics. Would never wish to visit any country where women are veiled/oppressed/seen as lesser than men, and/or where foreign workers are doing things, in poor conditions, that local citizens think beneath them. Politics is more transient surely, depending on who is in power (of course apart from China etc where nutjob dictators give themselves the job for life).

Any Theocratic country.

Any country with misogynistic laws.

Any medieval shit hole that would basically still like to burn people like me at the stake.

I don't buy Japanese products, and would never go to Japan. They're the only nation not to have apologised for atrocities commited in WW2, their needless and horrendous slaughter of whales sickens and appalls me, their release of Fukushima water into the ocean is awful, and their weird gynae sexual obsession is hard to understand.

Yes I do consider it when looking at holiday destinations/travel. But I must admit I am feeling less and less comfortable about the UK's politics and democracy and I feel the gap has narrowed very considerably.

Interesting question. I generally base it on societal attitudes to women. Interestingly, it started when DH refused to go to Morocco on this basis, one time I vaguely thought about going there. It’s definitely part of the choice process now. I used to travel widely, sadly attitudes to women are petty bad the whole world over.

villamariavintrapp you have a very good point there. I wonder how many foreign visitors are swerving the UK right now? 🤔

I definitely feel a lot more comfortable about visiting Poland now there's been a change of government. And would definitely steer clear of Hungary.

But then again, we visited Italy this spring, which has a quasi fascist government right now. Going to Genoa felt good though, as judging by the graffiti the whole city feels the same way I do about Meloni 😆

Maybe that's the answer for some places- ie, I wouldn't rule out going to India perhaps, but in a country with a million opinions would seek out women- led projects, and those speaking out against religious discrimination.

I was just about to say the same thing, and was musing on whether there are potential tourists who are choosing not to visit the UK for political reasons now. I find it harder to criticise regimes in some other countries just at the moment!
I suspect there are things that are at least ethically dubious about every country in the world to be honest, but like many other posters I do consider the politics and culture of potential holiday destinations and the possible risks to my personal safety before deciding where to travel. There are some amazing natural and historical sites that I would love to in places of the world that I'm not entirely comfortable with visiting so I often feel torn.
At the moment I am really torn on whether to go toTurkey. I have been wanting to visit Gallipoli for a long time as I have an ancestor who is buried there and nobody in the family has ever been to his grave. But I have both ethical and practical reservations about travelling there.

There are so many places I'd like to visit that are off the cards for political AND personal safety reasons right now!! Egypt, Russia, Algeria, Yemen, Israel....🤦‍♀️

But then again, I'm old enough to remember when Lebanon, Bosnia, Albania, Chile and South Africa were all off the cards for one reason or another (and if I was a bit older even Spain!), all of which now have flourishing tourist industries now, so perhaps I'll be enjoying a post retirement trip to Yemen, who knows.

No country that tells me that I am not worth even half of what my husband is. The UK devalues women more than I can stand but it's not a patch of some of those barbaric, religious, extreme women hating countries around the world.

The Uk is still a democracy with strong, rights-based rule of law and governance and a diverse and largely tolerant and kind society with religious freedom and a strong social state.
Despite what social media algorithms and rabid tabloid press would have us think. Yes this Gov are a shit show with no integrity but thanks to the democracy part they’ll be gone next year and a new lot will get a turn.
The UK is not at all comparable to the countries named in this list. Truly. I’ve been to many, and honestly folk in those countries would laugh their heads off to hear people say that.

But you could say the same about India, Hungary, parts of the US and Israel, for example....🤔

All these governments (or congresspeople) were voted in.

Yes I would in principle go on holiday to India, Hungary and the US. And Turkey, Egypt which were also mentioned. I would research carefully in advance locations, make ethical choices in booking etc.

I suppose no-travel lists are personal to each of us. My list is focused on authoritarian rule, grave human rights abuses, widespread sex and race inequalities and discrimination

So not Myanmar, for example, which recently committed a genocide. But yes to Tunisia which spent the last decade trying to become a democracy, is going through a bad patch but has many committed people on the inside working for reform. And hasn’t committed genocide recently.

"weird gynae sexual obsession" wtf

Yes this! Our current government is so inept and borderline evil that I feel we've lost our moral high ground to be judging others!!

My personal red line is not to contribute to any economy where government prevents access to abortion, so as of 2022 the USA is on my 'avoid' list...

But in looking at the USA it gets ever more complex, woollymammoth. I think you have to go on a state- by- state basis. So Florida can fuck off, for example. But I think some states have been working to cement right to abortion into the legislature? And the current federal government isn't particularly heinous.

I have refused to go to Cyprus since that british woman was jailed for reporting a gang rape.

💯 yes