Challenge: Turn Afghanistan, Somalia and Iraq into tourist hotspots

Incognito

Banned
As the title says. Find a way to turn nations of Afghanistan, Somalia and Iraq into popular tourist destinations.
 
I doubt they could ever really be hotspots since Western tourists don't really seem to like going outside of their comfort zones. However I think that if it stays stable and does quite a lot of advertising and modernization, then Iraq at least with its' ancient sites could be a less popular version of Egypt.

Afghanistan is harder since it doesn't have many things that tourists might want to look at and is in very bad place being squeezed between old western boogymen/countries such as Iran, old USSR and China. However I think it could have become a sort of "off the beaten track" sort of tourist destination...that makes a bit of money from it such as OTL Nepal or Vietnam.

Somalia is much harder, since tourists sadly only really go to Africa to see the exotic animals...which Somalia doesn't have. Unless a lot can be made of Mogadishu's Italian colonialist architecture or become a beach destination for Europeans wanting a bit of adventure (like OTL Dubai/ Tunsia) it will not have a tourist industry.

These would all require the rule of law, a certain level of development and an aggressive level of advertising and a tradition of stability to draw any tourists. Sadly the only one I think that could of had any tourist industry is Iraq...if Saddam hadn't been such a warmonger-er.
 
I think Somalia has some coral reefs offshore, perhaps it could promote those as attractions.
 

Incognito

Banned
I doubt they could ever really be hotspots since Western tourists don't really seem to like going outside of their comfort zones.
I did not limit the OP to Western tourists.
However I think that if it stays stable and does quite a lot of advertising and modernization, then Iraq at least with its' ancient sites could be a less popular version of Egypt.

... Sadly the only one I think that could of had any tourist industry is Iraq...if Saddam hadn't been such a warmonger-er.
Why would it be less popular than Egypt? Is it simply because Ancient Egypt is more prevalent and romanticized in pop-culture than Ancient Mesopotamia? If so, could a POD in the history of 20th century literature/TV/pop-culture change that?
Afghanistan is harder since it doesn't have many things that tourists might want to look at and is in very bad place being squeezed between old western boogymen/countries such as Iran, old USSR and China. However I think it could have become a sort of "off the beaten track" sort of tourist destination...that makes a bit of money from it such as OTL Nepal or Vietnam.
Could it become a destination for, say, Russian tourists (assuming no Afghan Wars and no political turmoil)?

Also, could the Giant Buddha Status become a big tourist attraction?
Somalia is much harder, since tourists sadly only really go to Africa to see the exotic animals...which Somalia doesn't have. Unless a lot can be made of Mogadishu's Italian colonialist architecture or become a beach destination for Europeans wanting a bit of adventure (like OTL Dubai/ Tunsia) it will not have a tourist industry.
Does Somalia have an nice beaches that could attract tourists?
These would all require the rule of law, a certain level of development and an aggressive level of advertising and a tradition of stability to draw any tourists.
Oh, I agree.
Sadly the only one I think that could of had any tourist industry is Iraq...if Saddam hadn't been such a warmonger-er.
 
Afghanistan is harder since it doesn't have many things that tourists might want to look at and is in very bad place being squeezed between old western boogymen/countries such as Iran, old USSR and China. However I think it could have become a sort of "off the beaten track" sort of tourist destination...that makes a bit of money from it such as OTL Nepal or Vietnam.

well there's always backpacking, like India, also the Buddhas were worth seeing :(
 
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