The Most Dangerous Country in the World

“War Tourism”

Even in the most war-torn areas, smiling and casually-dressed men can be seen posing for photographs while U.S. airstrikes take place in the background. Rather than be affected by the horror, they set out to document it on their mobile phones and digital cameras. A lot of them are day trippers from neighboring countries like Turkey, caught up in the ages-old pastime known as war tourism.

War tourism is not new to the Syrian conflict. It has been around for millennia: many of history’s greatest battles were written about by spectators. During the 1860s the British travel agent Thomas Cook arranged “war holidays” for English tourists who wanted to journey to the American Civil War battlefields to watch the conflict unfold. Guided tours were also organized for those who wanted front row seats to the Crimean War.

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It is anticipated that if (and hopefully when) the civil war ends, Syria will take years, if not decades, to recover from its ravages. A lot of serious investment will be necessary to bring its tourism and travel industry back to life, but it’s not necessarily mission impossible.

Jonny Bealby, owner of tour operator Wild Frontiers, told the Telegraph that Syria had once been one of his company’s most popular destinations. “You really had everything you needed to make a really good cultural holiday there,” he said.

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Asked if he would ever arrange tours there again, after the war ends, Bealby answered in the affirmative.

“Believe me, as soon as there is a sniff of an opportunity, Wild Frontiers will be there,” he said. If other tour companies and their clients feel the same way, the Syrian people may one day see their home live down its long-time reputation as the most dangerous country in the world.

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