This campaign wants people to 'offset' vacation guilt over human rights

Over the past few years we've seen individuals and organizations try to "offset" their long haul travel guilt by reducing their carbon emissions elsewhere in return for polluting air travel. Now, a new campaign is bringing the same idea to vacationing in destinations with poor records on human rights.

Devised by Prime Weber Shandwick on behalf of Swedish NGO Civil Rights Defenders, "Oppression Offset" is an online tool that appeals to travelers' consciences and shines a light on the human rights records of travel destinations including Dubai, Zanzibar, Cuba, Thailand and Turkey.

The online calculator considers the length of the trip, the country's VAT, an average daily spend and the degree of autocracy, based on the world's largest democracy index from the V-Dem research institute. Based on the amount it comes up with, the idea is to encourage people to make a donation to the human rights organization, as well as to think more about their travel choices. 

“Our ambition is that as many people as possible want to start offsetting their travels, in the same way that companies, organizations and private individuals today compensate for climate change," said Mikael Ehrlington, campaign and marketing manager at Civil Rights Defenders, in a statement. "If more people offset dictatorship, the democratic forces would be stronger. It would help human rights organizations to support more people living in oppression and push to hold dictators accountable for their actions."

The idea is being promoted by ads including on social media, digital out-of-home and a print ad in one of Sweden's biggest newspapers. The creative juxtaposes typical vacation images with provocative copy: for example, an image of a parent and child swimming in a turquoise sea is accompanied by the words, "Sun, shopping and modern slavery in Dubai!" and an image of two women relaxing on a beach with "Palmtrees and political prisoners in Cuba!"

“Thailand, Dubai and Turkey are countries where many tourists travel without reflecting on the everyday reality of the people living there," commented Petter Lublin, creative director at Prime Weber Shandwick. "We hope that Oppression Offset will make tired tourists open their eyes to the sick reality of torture and oppression that goes on beyond the resort’s kids club. With this tool, people can actually contribute and support human rights defenders financially."