Georgia Love slammed for promoting Saudi Arabia as an ‘incredible’ travel destination

Former Bachelorette and TV journalist Georgia Love is copping a wave of anger for promoting a holiday to an autocratic regime.

Former Bachelorette and TV journalist Georgia Love is copping a wave of anger for promoting a holiday to the autocratic regime of Saudi Arabia — which only this week executed 81 people in a single day.

The reality TV star and her husband Lee Elliott, who found love on the second season of Network 10’s The Bachelorette in 2016, sparked controversy after the pair posted Instagram photos of themselves promoting tourism in the hard-line Islamic nation.

“After only opening to tourists in 2019, we can’t state how excited we are to be among the first Aussies to tour Saudi,” Love wrote on Instagram on Thursday.

“To us, it is important to see, experience and learn about all cultures around us and to see how much and how fast our world is changing. We can’t wait to bring you along on this incredible experience with us.”

Images posted to Instagram of the couple’s jaunt.

On Elliott’s Instagram story, he posted a series of pictures and videos showed the pair trying Arabic coffee and snacks in the town of Diriyah, posing in front of buildings and enjoying a meal in the Riyadh Front shopping area.

Love ended the post with the hashtag Visit Saudi and it was met with a storm of criticism — with commenters calling the trip “immoral”.

Saudi Arabia’s government has copped heavy criticism for its human rights abuses, including its treatment of women and its LGBT community, and for repressing political opposition.

Entertainment journalist Peter Ford tweeted a link to a news article revealing Saudi Arabia recently “executed 81 convicts in a single day”.

Ford added, “This is the country Georgia Love accepted a free trip to visit. Of the 81 you can be sure there is a disproportionate number of women, gays & possibly journalists. Did you really need a freebie trip that badly Georgia?”

Now the world is opening up again you might choose the Eiffel Tower, Edinburgh Castle or The Acropolis but Georgia Love is pushing Saudi Arabia. Sorry Georgia but ‘Chop Chop Square’ -where woman and gays are executed- just doesn’t do it for me in the same way. pic.twitter.com/pmRIJqB4dC

— Peter Ford (@mrpford) March 17, 2022

It’s not the first time Love has caused a stir on social media. Picture: Nic Davidson

She also faced pushback in her comments section.

“Sorry Georgia but supporting/promoting Saudi Arabia is incredibly wrong,’’ one follower wrote.

“They executed 82 people a few days ago. Not to mention the lack of women’s rights and the LGBTI+ community. Being a journalist, it might have been a good idea to research a country before promoting it. Their human rights are appalling. Disappointing. Seems a free holiday is more important than morals.”

Another follower wrote: “Why not use your influence/platform to promote somewhere that doesn’t have an atrocious record of human rights violations.”

In response to one person’s suggestion that it was a paid partnership, Love responded that it was not.

Some commented that the couple should be left to enjoy their holiday without negativity.

Elliott responded to critics on his post:

“I truly hear and understand what you’re saying and where you’re coming from,” he said. “We

thought long and hard about coming and we decided to come as the world is changing for the better and Saudi along with it.

Love was a reporter for Channel Seven.

“We strongly believe by Saudi opening up to the rest of the world and by tourists being here it has to be more accountable and hope this is a change for the better. Trust me we looked into it before coming and believe many things have changed for the better in more recent times and hope they continue to do so.”

Love’s latest gaffe comes just weeks after she revealed she’s leaving her TV career behind at Channel Seven for a new job away from the cameras in PR.

She announced the news in a statement to the Daily Telegraph, telling the publication that she was excited to begin her next chapter in the media industry.

It comes approximately five months after Seven took the reality TV star off the air and moved her to a behind-the-scenes role after she received backlash for a controversial Instagram post.

She apologised after being accused of “casual racism” on Instagram when she posted a video of a cat at the glass door of an Asia restaurant. It was captioned “shop attendant or lunch?!” alongside a crying laughing emoji.

Love apologised for the post.

The former reporter’s apology.

After Seven took “disciplinary action” against Love, she apologised to her colleagues in a staff email, saying, “I’m deeply sorry for the hurt that I’ve caused and, in particular, for offence to the Asian community” and vowed to “earn your trust back”.

Love is departing Channel 7 at the end of March and joining agency Enthral as a senior public relations and content manager.

She will be working across a new platform called The Good News, showcasing positive and uplifting news stories.