07/02/2019
Politics continue to define travel borders
The news shapes where we travel. In Egypt, tourism dropped sharply after the 2010 season due to political strife and violence. “Much of this is now stabilized,” says Geographic Expeditions managing director Kate Doty. “Travelers who want to see Egypt before it is overrun again with tourists are going now, which is building back a solid base.” Doty adds the same thing is happening in Turkey, which saw tourism numbers decline after the 2016 terrorist attacks and the 2017 failed coup. United States citizens are also having an easier time with Turkish visas, which were restricted during part of 2017.
Zimbabwe has similarly piqued travelers’ interest in the wake of former president Robert Mugabe’s resignation in late 2017. Roar Africa’s Deborah Calmeyer notes that “while Victoria Falls has always been the corner of hope and a tourist destination during the political unrest, areas like Hwange National Park, Mana Pools National Park, and Lake Kariba are all prime safari locations that will undoubtedly see tourism activity due to the improving political climate.”
Published Jan 3, 2019, by the National Geographic Website
