Travel Blogging für Assad

Levant24 beschäftigt sich mit so genannten Travel Bloggern, die es nach Syrien zieht, wo sie dann das Regime von Assad zu loben pflegen:

Paul Nabil Matthis, Syrian-American author, told L24, “the practice of encouraging hyper-controlled postwar tourism is almost a century old, a method perfected by Franco in Spain and used in various authoritarian territories since as a display of power and stability. Travel influencers in particular generally cultivate a toothless approach to social media tending toward the positive, which happens to lend itself to a propagandic normalization effect rather well.”

Tara Everton, from Human Rights Foundation (HRF) can only agree and adds: “Dictators invite celebrities and influencers because they give their regimes the appearance of stability, normalcy, and calm. Positive press coverage of a pop star’s concert can drown out the cries of political prisoners. Travel vloggers and influencers receive VIP treatment from regimes to portray a country’s ‘openness’ and ‘hospitality,’ but don’t show what life under a dictatorship is really like. By generating positive impressions and glowing reviews, influencers allow dictators to cover up their crimes and gain international legitimacy.” (...)

Matthis says, “influencers get the benefit of seeming cool and ‘exotic’ never even realizing they’re pushing a political agenda. In fact, nearly all of them claim to be apolitical despite putting themselves in a highly politicized situation.”

Qusai Nour a refugee now in Turkey says, “The regime exploits any influential, well-known or famous person. When they invite them to visit or facilitate their visit, they exploit their influence of their followers … most of them, if not all of them, know the truth of what is happening in Syria, they know who the murder is and who the victims are, and they know the regime has killed and displaced millions. I expect they know that helping [Assad] through their videos is a big mistake.”

Fullerton illustrates, “Davud Akhundzada was an unknown travel vlogger with a small YouTube channel… his travel to Syria …established him as a ‘travel influencer.’ He currently has 40,000 subscribers on YouTube.” Upon returning Akhundzada began parroting Assad regime talking points, praising the regime and occupying Russians, mentioning, “how nice the Russian soldiers were” to give to children candy."