As tourism destinations go, Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan and North Korea are outsiders. Aspects such as safety, the way these countries are governed, the current situation and reports on local events deter people and keep tourists away. At a discussion round at the ITB Berlin Convention moderated by Dr. Ajit Singh Sikand, a tourism development consultant who advises governments and lectures at the Institute of Indology at the Gutenberg University in Mainz as well as at universities in Denver und India, a debate took place on the prospects for tourism in crisis regions, in so-called “bad lands“.
According to Manfred Schreiber, area manager with Studiosus, Iran is “probably the world’s safest country“ and comparisons with other countries are invalid. There was no violence and there were no safety issues. The political backdrop was the other side of the coin. As far as tourism was concerned there was nothing “dark or mysterious“ about this country. People travelling with Studiosus wanted to discover a great ancient culture and get to know the country’s friendly people. As such, Iran could be regarded as a normal country for tourism.
Mohamed, a friend of Dr. Ajit Singh Sikand, described the situation in Iraq as relatively stable. Currently, there were six international airports flying tourists and in opinion the prospects were very good. Mohamed had reservations about the term “bad lands“ and Singh Sikand admitted to wanting to provoke people with the title. Mohamed wanted to attract support for the tourism sector and for expanding airports and improving hotel management. Tour operators could make a big impact and Germany could make a difference by investing money. He had backing in the shape of a law, which was one of the best and least complicated in the region. He was hopeful that “one day we can leave our negative image behind.
Potentially, it was possible to attract tourists anywhere, said the filmmaker and photographer George Kurian in response to questions about Afghanistan’s safety. Over the last four years the safety problem had escalated, he said. He was undecided as to whether the time was ripe to begin building bridges. The country possessed no tourism infrastructure. All the same, Dr. Ajit Singh Sikand, who had journeyed through Afghanistan, said: “Take a chance, go there. It’s a country of stunning beauty.“
According to Ulrich Bexte, managing director of BCT Travel, an operator which organises tours to East Africa, there were no safety issues in North Korea. Two North Korean guides accompanied his company’s tours. It was important for visitors to be informed beforehand, and for them to avoid political discussions if they wanted to find out about day-to-day life. He knew of several tourists who had first visited South Korea, which was more popular, and then went to North Korea to see what it was like. It was like a different planet, they told him afterwards. Others were interested in communism, and for Germans with memories of a divided nation there was a sense of déja vu. According to Bexte, developing tourism there would be a “very long-winded process.“ At present, anyone who had been to North Korea once was unlikely to go there again.