IRAQ-TOURISM: Hardy Visitors Return to War Damaged Baghdad
BAGHDAD, Nov 22 (IPS) - Curiosity knows no bounds when it comes to tourism especially for the adventurous who will travel to places where others would fear to tread.
Fearless tourists from all five continents are even now returning in sizeable numbers to the war damaged city of Baghdad. Hoteliers report foreign visitors, including women and children, are reappearing in the Iraqi capital in spite of international sanctions which can make their trip a frugal and arduous one.
At the Baghdad Sheraton this week a group of six Venezuelans were observed enjoying a breakfast of tea, buns, cheese or fried egg with tomato garnish. Nothing else was on offer.
"Its the embargo you see," apologised the head waiter to the Venezuelans who appeared to sympathise with the hotel's plight. The big question is why did this group of hardy Venezuelans travel to such an unlikely holiday destination at a heavy cost of seven thousand dollars each.
"Curiosity is the main reason. We are not involved with politics. We feel for the Iraqi people and can see for ourselves the effect that the embargo is having on the children and old people of Baghdad," said Miguel Cantor of Caracas. Their trip also includes Jordan, Syria and Iran.
They intend to stay one week in Iraq, visiting various sites in Baghdad, Mosul, and nearby Hatra. There, at various archaeological sites, they are likely to bump into a group of German tourists led by archaeologist Alexander Pruss from Tubingen, Germany.
He has previously visited Jordan, Yemen and Lebanon and will spend two weeks in Iraq with his current group.
"I was very interested to see Iraq but it would have been very difficult on my own. The people in my party come for different reasons. Some are fascinated by the history of Mesopotamia. Some are interested in seeing how the 1991 Gulf War affected the country," Pruss said.
Iraq is receiving a number of religious visitors on pilgrimages who head to the religious sites at Karabal and Najaf. Many of the visitors drive from Amman, Jordan, along the desert Highway to Baghdad. A distance of some 1,000 kilometres.
Many of the visitors have been advised by their governments not to visit Iraq. Some ask the Iraqi customs not to stamp their passports so as not to prejudice future travel arrangements.
© Inter Press Service (2014) — All Rights Reserved. Original source: Inter Press Service