Is it wrong to holiday in a country that has a poor human rights record?

Over the next two months thousands of Irish families will travel abroad. This time last year we took 1,515,000 outbound trips. About two-thirds of these were, according to the Central Statistics Office (CSO), for holiday, leisure and recreation purposes. Most trips were to Europe and North America but many people visited Asia, the Middle East and other far-flung parts of the world. Travel agencies are advertising holidays in places such as Bali, Dubai and Thailand.

Most people booking holidays check out prices, hotels, health and tourist sights, but how many check the politics of the country and how citizens are treated by the ruling regimes? How many travellers check out inequality levels before deciding where to spend their hard earned savings? Most people do not, and visit places that seem interesting, even exotic, without knowing anything about the living conditions of citizens in those countries.

Freedom House (freedomehouse.org) is an independent watchdog that has measured freedom in the world since 1941. It scores countries from one (free) to seven (not free) by assessing the real-world rights and freedoms enjoyed by citizens in 195 countries and 15 territories.

Dubai, in the United Arab Emirates, is a favourite destination of Irish travellers but is classified as not free by Freedom House. Out of a possible score of 100, it scores a miserable 20 points. Broken down into the categories of political rights, civil liberties and personal autonomy, it scores six (not free) for each. Visitors to Dubai, staying in luxury hotels, do not realise they are being sold an illusion.

Russia, which is regarded as increasingly aggressive by Freedom House, scores only 22. Thailand, another favourite with Irish holidaymakers, is regarded as not free, scoring 32. Morocco is classified as partly free, scoring 41. Those who visit these countries need to do so with their eyes wide open.

The 2016 Freedom in the World report from Freedom House – Anxious Dictators, Wavering Democracies: Global Freedom Under Pressure – shows that the number of countries designated as free now stands at 86, representing 40 per cent of the global population. This number has decreased by three since 2015. "The world was battered by overlapping crises that fuelled xenophobic sentiment in democratic countries and led authoritarian regimes to crack down harder on dissent. These unsettling developments contributed to the 10th consecutive year of decline in global freedom."

The migration crisis in Europe has put unprecedented pressure on the EU’s fundamental principles of liberty, solidarity, and respect for human rights. A number of EU countries, such as Hungary and Poland, are now less free than they used to be. In addition, there are strong associations between country-level freedom and health outcomes, affecting citizens and visitors alike.

According to the Freedom House report, many countries are on a negative freedom trajectory, including the US, Turkey, Thailand and the Maldives. Global problems that affect safe and enjoyable travel include rampant corruption, a surge in terrorism and huge inequalities. Despite austerity policies the number of millionaires has grown rapidly in all countries, including Ireland, which now has 12,000 more millionaires than in 2005. Wealth inequality is the biggest issue facing politicians as they try to address the dissatisfaction levels of those who feel disenfranchised. Brexit is the latest manifestation of feelings of social, economic and political inequality, adding to the uncertainty experienced by travellers. Choosing holiday destinations is now more difficult for those who care about freedom and civil liberties.

What are the best holiday options if we prefer to contribute to the economies of nations that respect civil liberties? Several EU and European Economic Area (EEA) countries such as Finland, Sweden and Norway score the maximum 100 points on the Freedom House indicators. So, although expensive in comparison to southern Europe, there is the satisfaction of knowing our cash is not propping up corrupt or authoritarian regimes. Most southern European countries such as France (Freedom House score 91), Spain (95) and Portugal (97) respect citizens' rights.

Some travellers prefer more exotic locations and Europe can, mistakenly, seem bland and boring. Is it possible for a country to be exciting, and treat its citizens fairly and equally at the same time? Of course it is. More importantly, can we justify taking holidays at the expense of other people, such as seeing poverty as an interesting spectacle?

Freedom and human rights are under threat throughout the world and we must not contribute to it.

Jacky Jones is a former HSE regional manager of health promotion and a member of Healthy Ireland Council. drjackyjones@gmail.com