Asia seems to be the most obvious place to post this due to what I'm about to write but this applies to all continents...

So, in my experience, I've heard of various people boycotting going to certain countries (and less commonly, cities etc) for various reasons, including:

Russia - LGBT rights
Israel - Palestine and whatnot
USA - well...
various nations on religious grounds
and various other reasons e.g. a bad experience in a given country etc.

Now, I'm no exception - I have absolutely 0 intention on going back to Israel after being stuck in TLV on arrival when I first went there, the US just because, the Gulf Peninsula after living out there (more specifically Saudi Arabia) and knowing how dreadful it is and London...well...I just hate the place. Although, bar Israel, I guess I would at least travel through the aforementioned (not Israel as I have no need to go anywhere near there)

Incidentally, as an LGBT man living in Moscow with my husband, it seems that no one can even understand that not everywhere is as the media portrays. I've also noted that LGBT people are the most likely to boycott countries because of LGBT rights, which basically means half the world...and in my opinion, it seems somewhat naive.

Is it right to boycott a country or not?

What if your existence in that country is illegal and punishable by imprisonment or death? Is avoiding it a boycott, or prudent?

Individuals choosing not to travel somewhere for whatever reason, isn't necessarily a boycott, which is an explicitly political act of protest.
For example, I choose not to travel to Israel because, if I'm not being paid, I avoid conflict zones without concerning myself with who has made the most convincing PR argument that they're absolute saints and the other guys are pure evil. As if.
So your choice to avoid Israel and the US imo is equivalent to your choice to avoid London.
But is it justified? Of course it is. Why would anyone travel somewhere they don't want to be except for work? What's the point of that?

As this is not specific to Asia, please follow it in TravelBuzz.

l'etoile
senior moderator

There are more than a couple of countries I will not travel to for whatever reasons (personal or practical)...........I am sure everyone has 1-2 or 10 on their list.

If not visiting somewhere because you don't like it is "boycotting" , then sure. I boycott Somalia, Eritria, North Korea, etc., etc. - probably dozens of countries.

This is a thread which would be appropriate for the OMNI politics and religion Forum. As the OP is not OMNI-enabled, I am closing this thread.
Obscure2k
TravelBuzz Moderator