By
Jess McHugh, Travel+Leisure
With near constant news coverage
of conflict zones in the Middle East, including Syria, Iraq, and parts
of Israel, U.S. readers can often succumb to the idea that the entire
region is riddled with violence.
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Many U.S. travelers have proved resilient, however, with news from places like Iran
only encouraging them to see the country up close for themselves.
Several tour groups have seen huge spikes in interest to travel to the
Middle East in 2017, with some even seeing bookings increase by over 100
percent year over year.
Tour operator Topdeck Travel saw bookings from North America to the Middle East rise by 107 percent in a year over year comparison with 2016, and Intrepid Travel saw a jump of 70 percent.
“A lot of travelers go out for
that cultural experience, something that’s different from their every
day. What’s really important is that we showcase that,” Topdeck Travel
Middle East and North Africa product manager Nick Wright told Travel +
Leisure.
Israel, Jordan, and Morocco
were the top sellers for Topdeck, with burgeoning potential in the
United Arab Emirates. The agency’s travelers in the region tended to
skew younger and overwhelmingly female — 70 percent of their
participants in Middle East tours were women, with an average age of 27.
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Intrepid noted a similar phenomenon, with interest peaking in Egypt
and Jordan, which saw a 150 percent and 120 percent increase in
bookings year over year, respectively. The tour group has doubled the
number of itineraries they run to the regions, planning to pivot toward
food-centric tours in particular.
The Middle East has long
attracted visitors from all over the world with its rich history and
extensive natural beauty. The ancient site of Petra is considered a touchstone for any history or archeology buff.
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| Olivia ZZ/Getty Images |
Many countries in the Middle
East and North African regions are very safe for tourism, and in some
cases are considered less prone to terrorism than places in Europe,
according to the Global Terrorism Index.
The index is a project of the Institute for Economics & Peace, and
it ranks how strongly countries have been affected by terrorism by
evaluating the number and severity of terrorist incidents around the
world, as well as their fall-out.
[post_ads]Iraq and Afghanistan topped the
list in 2016, but many of their geographic neighbors were far less prone
to terrorism. Iran and Jordan landed behind France, the U.K., and the
U.S, with France ranking 29th, the U.K. 34th, and the U.S. 36th. Iran
came in 47th, Jordan 58th — and Qatar landed all the way at the 112th
spot.
Political climates in various
countries in the Middle East can change rapidly, and travelers should
check with the U.S. State Department for recent travel alerts or
advisories. When one country is not advisable for travel, that does not
mean the whole region should be considered off-limits.
“American travelers are making a
statement by continuing to travel in the Middle East,” Leigh Barnes,
North American director for Intrepid Travel, told T+L. "They are showing
that this region is not defined by a single country or experience, and
shifting the conversation from fear to understanding."
