Albania
Albania didn’t abandon Communism until 1992. In the mid-1990s, just about everyone in the country put their savings into pyramid schemes, leading to bloody riots and the resignation of the socialist government. More recently, Albania has become known as an inexpensive European gateway, with picturesque mountains, well-preserved archaeological sites, and hundreds of miles of beaches on the Adriatic and Ionian coasts.
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Wracked by war and ethnic cleansing following the breakup of Yugoslavia in the early 1990s, the region that hosted the 1984 Winter Olympics is again attracting skiers and nature hikers. Bosnia has also benefited from day-trippers interested in war sites or the country's cultural artifacts, such as the ancient medieval bridge Stari Most, which was rebuilt after having been virtually destroyed during the conflict.
Colombia
It seemed Colombia would be forever linked to the violent drug cartels that acted with impunity in the 1980s and 1990s, killing government officials and kidnapping civilians. But with a new hard-line government reporting drastic drops in homicides and kidnappings since 2000, tourists have been flocking to its beaches, festivals, and nature preserves. Lonely Planet named the country a top 10 destination for 2006.
North Korea
Among the last Communist states left in existence, North Korea rarely grants tourist visas to Americans. Some Americans, however, have been allowed to visit during the country’s annual Mass Games, in which tens of thousands of dancers and gymnasts perform in front of a backdrop of people holding up colored cards that form a series of mosaics. Other attractions include war memorials and the Demilitarized Zone.
Rwanda
Rwanda was decimated in 1994 when Hutus rose up and killed an estimated 800,000 Tutsis and moderate Hutus. But visitors increasingly come to this central African country for its savannas, volcanic mountains, deep jungle, and rich assortment of plant and animal life, including an incredibly wide variety of orchids and the protected mountain gorilla. Tourism revenues hit $36 million in 2006, up 30 percent from 2005.
Sri Lanka
The Sri Lankan government is locked in conflict with Tamil separatists, known as the Tamil Tigers. But tourists are attracted to the tiny island nation’s tropical forests, beaches, and many World Heritage sites, including a temple in the city of Kandy said to hold Buddha’s tooth. In 2006, the country had more than a half-million tourists, according to the Sri Lanka Tourist Board.
Uganda
Uganda saw its economy devastated and about 300,000 of its people killed in the 1970s during the reign of Idi Amin. But it is presently one of Africa’s economic engines, attracting explorers to Lake Victoria, rafters to Murchison Falls, mountaineers to the Rwenzori range, and gorilla watchers to its Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. The country markets itself as an “elegant adventure.”
Back to: Hostile Hot Spots
