S2 Ep43: Extreme Travel: Is Travel to Conflict Zones Okay?
After our chat with Andrew Drury about extreme travel last year, he encouraged us to reach out to James Willcox, co-founder of Untamed Borders – so we did. Untamed Borders is an adventure travel company that guides tourists into regions that are difficult to access, including Congo, Sudan, Afghanistan, Syria, Saudi Arabia, and Yemen.
So what does it mean to travel to regions that aren’t easily accessible because of conflict, or geopolitics? Is this “dark tourism”?
Are there benefits to this kind of tourism?
Guest:
James Willcox, co-founder of the adventure travel company Untamed Borders.
Visit https://untamedborders.com/ for more information on their tours and initiatives. @untamedborders on social media.
Resources:
Concern over rise in dark tourism in Syria as war enters ninth year
Saudi Arabia wants your next vacation
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/12/25/business/saudi-arabia-tourism.html
Travel bloggers visiting Syria are normalizing the Assad regime
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/article-travel-bloggers-visiting-syria-are-normalizing-the-assad-regime/
HOW TO TRAVEL TO SYRIA IN 2020: EVERYTHING YOU MUST KNOW
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CREDITS
Written and Hosted by: Erin Hynes
Producer: Kattie Laur
Music from Motion Array
Logo by Nicole Hall