The Ethics of Conflict-Zone Tourism
How tourism to conflict zones can either help build bridges or further otherize vulnerable communities.
Just outside of the city of the southern Iraqi city of Basra, a name more commonly associated with Saddam Hussein and war, community-based tourism is beginning to flourish in the Arab marshlands. Tourists can take small wooden boats around the canals and visit local families. Robyn Huang.
The Ethics of Conflict Zone Tourism
How tourism to conflict zones can either help build bridges or further otherize vulnerable communities.
By Sam Northcote
Published 8 July, 2021
When I travelled to Iraqi Kurdistan in 2013, the government of my home country, the United Kingdom, was advising against all but essential travel to the region due to the ongoing threat of kidnappings and terrorist violence. I was 27 at the time and I knew very little about Iraq besides what I’d seen in the headlines.
To prepare for my trip, I read up on the recent history of Iraqi Kurdistan and watched a couple of documentaries, including one in which an American presenter sporting a Kevlar vest travelled around the region in a bulletproof car accompanied by armed bodyguards.
Despite Iraq’s reputation as one of the world’s most politically volatile countries, where acts of horrific sectarian violence are part of daily life, I was excited about having an opportunity to go beyond the headlines and see for myself what conditions were like there. I had been invited by a Romanian friend who had recently started teaching at a conservatoire in Sulaymaniyah, one of the biggest cities in the relatively peaceful autonomous region of Iraqi Kurdistan.
I was amazed at how safe I felt wandering the streets and bazaars of Sulaymaniyah and the region’s capital, Erbil, even though there were regular reports of beheadings and car bombings in the nearby cities of Mosul and Kirkuk. The locals that I met were extremely hospitable. Many spoke good English and initiated conversations with me in tea shops and restaurants. The resilience of the Kurdish people, who have endured war for generations and even a campaign of genocide under Saddam Hussein, made a lasting impression on me.
In recent years, tourism in Iraqi Kurdistan has boomed, with visitors increasing from around 380,000 in 2007 to just over 3 million in 2018, according to the region’s official tourism board. This is perhaps indicative of a growing interest in what is often referred to, rather pejoratively, as “conflict-zone tourism” or “war tourism” — that is, recreational travel in regions affected by recent or ongoing conflict.
It’s hard to find concrete information on whether or not conflict-zone tourism is on the rise, but it certainly seems to be. Raad Alqassimi, a tour guide who operates in central Iraq, told me that he has observed an increase in interest from foreign tourists in recent years. He is so busy, in fact, that I found it difficult to schedule a call with him.
The same is true in Afghanistan, according to local tour guide Noor Mohammed Ramzan. The latter added that business has been good even throughout the Covid-19 pandemic.
Alqassimi typically includes a visit to the ruins of ancient Samarra, the medieval capital of the Abbassid Califate along the Tigris River, on tours around Iraq. Robyn Huang.
Readers may wonder why anyone would want to vacation in a region wracked with armed conflict — where there is a very real possibility of being killed or abducted. There is no single answer to this as the motivations of conflict-zone tourists vary greatly.
Some are compelled to seek adventure beyond that found on the usual tourist circuit. Some want to witness history-shaping events first-hand. Some want the “bragging rights” that come with visiting a place that few of their peers have been. Some want to go beyond news coverage of war-afflicted areas and see for themselves what the reality is like on the ground. And some are simply interested in visiting historical sites, like the ruins of ancient Babylon and the Great Mosque of Samarra in Iraq, despite the dangers associated with visiting such places.
Personally, I have never deliberately sought out conflict zones during my travels. The only other country I’ve been to, besides Iraq, that could be considered an active conflict zone is Israel and the Palestinian Territories, where rocket shelters and fresh shrapnel scars on building facades in border areas bear witness to ongoing hostilities.
I travelled to both of these countries in spite of the political instability rather than because of it. Admittedly, the novelty of visiting a place that my peers would consider dangerous was part of the draw, but I was more interested in seeing sites steeped in history and getting acquainted with unique cultures.
Understandably, conflict-zone tourism is controversial. In recent years, there have been some high-profile cases of Western travellers being taken hostage or killed in regions known to be hotspots for militant activities. One such case is that of Canadian-American couple Caitlan Coleman and Joshua Boyle who were captured by gunmen while backpacking in a dangerous part of Afghanistan in 2012 and held in captivity by a Taliban faction for five years before being rescued.
Incidents of this kind can cause major diplomatic crises. Moreover, rescue efforts can require significant government resources and may endanger the lives of the rescuers.
Not only can tourists in conflict zones be a financial and diplomatic burden for their home countries when things go wrong, but they are also, in some cases, accused of indirectly funding and legitimizing oppressive regimes like that of Bashar al-Assad in Syria.
Conflict-zone tourism can also seem somewhat voyeuristic, especially when it involves little more than people from rich, politically stable nations taking pictures of bombed-out houses and other markers of human misery. This kind of tourism can serve to otherize people in the host country since it reduces them to nothing more than objects of pity or anonymous bit players in a real-life war drama.
However, people who are only interested in rubbernecking at scenes of violence are by no means representative of all conflict-zone tourists. Ramzan explained that his clients, the majority of whom come from the United States and the United Kingdom, tend to show a keen interest in local cuisines, culture, history, and architecture.
Moreover, tourism can help to show a side of conflict-ridden regions that is not usually shown in the international media. Ramzan told me that many of his clients are interested in seeing for themselves if Afghanistan is as dangerous as the news portrays it to be. They are eager to get a glimpse of what daily life is really like for the Afghan people.
Not only do they have their perceptions of Afghanistan changed by seeing it through their own eyes, but the pictures and stories they share with friends and family back home help to further challenge stereotypes about the country, he says.
Noor Ramzan, a guide and local tour company founder in Afghanistan, stands with a group of Kuchi elders while leading a trip in Kandahar, Afghanistan. Matt Reichel.
Both Ramzan and Alqassimi believe that foreign tourism has been good for their respective countries on the whole. There are a host of people who benefit from the tourism industry, including drivers, guides, hospitality workers, and airline staff, among others.
According to Ramzan, tourism accounted for a large proportion of government revenue in his country before the Soviet invasion in 1979. He says that many Afghans, especially in rural areas, are still opposed to tourists coming into the country as they have been conditioned to view foreigners with suspicion.
However, he maintains that attitudes are changing slowly as the country opens up more to tourism. He says, “tourism is the only way out for Afghanistan right now.” Tourism not only creates an opportunity for the country to tell its own story to the world, but it also allows locals to meet foreigners and get to know more about their cultures. In other words, it helps foster mutual understanding between Afghans and foreigners.
It can also be argued that foreign tourism helps to undermine rather than bolster oppressive regimes. Jacob Weisberg, writing for the Financial Times, says that “trade, tourism, cultural exchange and participation in international institutions all serve to erode the legitimacy of repressive regimes. Though each is a separate case, these forces contributed greatly to undermining dictatorships and fostering democracy in the Philippines, South Korea, Argentina, Chile, and Eastern Europe in the 1980s.”
Students gather at a girls’ school in Yemen to welcome foreign travellers. Matt Reichel.
So, while conflict-zone tourism may be perceived by some as unethical, it can in fact be good for both tourists and host countries as long as it is done responsibly and with sensitivity towards local communities.
If you are planning a trip to a country where there is an ongoing conflict, there are a number of things you can do to make sure that you stay safe, do not extract scarce resources from local communities, and have a positive impact on the people you meet along the way. First of all, acquaint yourself with the current political situation in the country. Secondly, avoid unsafe areas and refrain from taking unnecessary risks. Thirdly, travel with a trusted local guide. Fourthly, learn about and respect local cultures and customs. And, fifthly, keep abreast of any updates from the government regarding domestic security.
It is always advisable to travel with a reputable tour operator when visiting a conflict zone as the company’s guides will have up-to-date information on which places are safe to visit and which should be avoided. Ramzan told me that he briefs his clients on how to stay safe at the beginning of every trip. He also provides them with clothing that is culturally appropriate and makes sure they cover up any tattoos and remove any jewellery that may cause offense. While tourists cannot be expected to blend in completely, wearing culturally appropriate clothing, being respectful with photography, and watching one's behaviour goes a long way not only in building trust but also in staying safe by keeping a lower profile.
When done correctly, conflict-zone tourism is more than reckless thrill-seeking, barstool bragging rights, or unique passport stamps. These types of travellers exist, but they do not need to define conflict-zone tourism. Rather, this type of community-based and learning-focused travel can be a real opportunity to build bridges between cultures and provide income and resources for locals. If done with sensitivity and responsibility, this type of travel can make the world a more accepting place one visitor at a time.