Many places of bad reputation can be very attractive for tourists – 03/05/2023 – Josimar Melo

In a recent conversation, when I mentioned a trip to Colombia, I heard from someone that he was afraid of going to that country because he considered it unsafe.

And then I thought about how the image of a place can be affected, for a long time, by the fear that its political, economic or social problems may have generated in some period of its history.

It was a surprise for my interlocutor when I told him that the true state of war in which Colombia lived for many years, due to conflicts between governments and political organizations or organized crime, no longer dominated the country’s scenario.

A thriving city like Bogotá still has visible security schemes, but not the climate of tension that reigned at the time when a kidnapping could happen at any moment on its side.

And Medellín, which even today in TV series appears as a hostage of drug trafficking cartels (which it really was), deserves a visit more than ever, for its urbanity (it is one of the champions in cycle paths in the world), for its topography, for its inclusion (a beautiful cable car quickly connects the center to its mountain periphery).

Organized crime corrupts local politicians and national authorities, in countries like Mexico (where there are cities virtually controlled by drug dealers) or in cities like Rio de Janeiro (where militiamen and drug trafficking dominate entire regions and even fraternize with the recent former occupant of the Palace of the Plateau). But these places nevertheless have enormous attractions for those who visit them. Furthermore, with a minimum of information, it is not difficult for tourists to avoid risky situations.

So I started thinking about places in the world that looked scary and therefore tourists avoided them.

I’m not talking about places that make me sick because of their political regimes —I have strong resistance to visiting dictatorships and autocracies, but I’ve done it as a professional duty and, even if they make me allergic, I found the obvious: dictatorships are dangerous for their citizens, but not necessarily for tourists.

Anyway, I was thinking more about regions that, based on the news we have, would be areas of conflict, dangerous for anyone nearby, resident or visitor.

I didn’t go to check any of them, but, from what I gathered, a country like Afghanistan, which seems to be always in a state of war, can be very friendly with tourists – also due to the rarity of their presence.

In Pakistan, in addition to popular festivities and Buddhist temples, there are the natural beauties of the Kalash valley.

In Iraq, you don’t even have to go through Baghdad if you want to visit the region of Kurdistan, where hospitality includes the loosening of the stupid obstacles of religion, which facilitates the consumption of alcoholic beverages and allows women to move around without covering their heads.

Somalia, a country from which we usually only receive bad news, as if the place were a Mad Max scenario governed by Bolsonarist militias, also has its tourist pocket. It’s called Somaliland, a nation that proclaimed its independence (little recognized around the world), lives in peace and exhibits archaeological riches, such as valuable works of prehistoric rock art.

I repeat that I have not visited nor do I recommend visiting these places here, I am just sharing my research on them, almost always considered to be very dangerous. Whether I’ll visit them, I don’t know. But since I’ve lived in São Paulo for decades, and the only place in the world where I’ve been robbed was not here, but in… London, why not take a chance?

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