Let's Talk About the War (Part One): The Impact on Tourism

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Disclaimer (it's a long one): This is the first in a three-part series reflecting on the conflict in Gaza as a traveler. This post is focused on the conflict's impact on tourism in the region and is not a political commentary (that will be the second and third posts).

These are my thoughts, experiences, and observations. While I am sure everyone has their own views and opinions, mine are formed from actually being in the region while the conflict was occurring, talking to people whose lives are affected, and experiencing life on the periphery.

I refer to "so-called 'Zionists'" in that manner, because it is a term which is used as a derogatory in the region rather than an accurate label of political, social, or business ideology. I refer to Palestinians when discussing Jordan, not only because they make up 70% of Jordan's population, but also because the experiences I convey related to them were actual encounters with Palestinians or their descendants. I refer to the "conflict in Gaza" and "Israel's retaliation" instead of "genocide" and "ethnic cleansing," because I aim to be as accurate as possible without injecting partisan talking points. For the same reason, I refer to "October 7th" when referring to Hamas's rocketing of Israel on that date. Again, this is not a foreign policy, geopolitical, or human rights debate; it is a travelogue.

I have been pondering this post for many months now. I started to think about what I wanted to say at the end of November 2023, and it is now mid-March 2024. I waited to post it for a few reasons. I wanted to really form my thoughts on the issue, communicate observations and experiences in the clearest, least-partisan way, but also relay to those back home and others who follow along what I experienced as a traveler in the Middle East as it related to the conflict in Gaza.

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I traveled to the Middle East / North Africa (MENA) less than two weeks after Hamas launched over 5000 rockets against Israel on October 7th, 2023. I spent three and a half months traveling the region, starting in Morocco and ending in Turkey, as the conflict raged on. While some places, like Morocco, Tunisia, and Turkey, were pretty much unaffected by the conflict, others, like Jordan and Egypt, felt its consequences despite not being directly involved.

Businesses suffered, and once-bustling tourism hot spots became quiet shells of their former selves. Some of these consequences were because of Western governments' and business' knee-jerk reactions to the conflict to save face with their citizens and customers, while others were secondary and tertiary effects of the politics of war. As a traveler, I got a firsthand look at the impact the conflict had on the tourism industries in adjacent countries.

Government Warnings

In the days following October 7th, governments rushed to put out travel advisories and notices to those planning travel to the Middle East. The United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom were some of the most prominent voices in this area. Interestingly, none of the major Western governments (as they relate to tourism dollars flowing into the Middle East) issued specific warnings for the two most-visited tourism countries which border Israel (Egypt and Jordan).

The Canadian government continued to list Egypt as a country where one should "exercise a high degree of caution," which is one step below an "avoid non-essential travel" notice. In fairness to Canada, it has listed Egypt in this category for some time; however, updating the notice in relation to October 7th gave the impression that the warning had been updated. The advisory warned against all travel to Northern Sinai (which borders Gaza), non-essential travel to Southern Sinai, and highlighted the rockets and drones which have targeted South Sinai. None of these were issued specific to October 7th.

The American government, by contrast, did not change or update its caution specific to Egypt or Jordan at all. Instead, it issued travel advisories for Israel, Lebanon, and Iraq, where the expected social unrest were to occur. At the same time, however, the State Department issued a "Worldwide Caution" for American citizens abroad citing the potential for protests and unrest in response to attack on Israel and Israel's response. The caution was short and generic. Essentially, it said to be mindful of one's surroundings, especially if traveling in the Middle East.

The British government did not issue travel warning for Egypt or Jordan at first, but later updated its Egypt advisory as the situation in Gaza deteriorated. The British government actively told its citizens that any person who wanted to cancel travel to Egypt and Jordan would be doing so at their own risk and in accordance with their respective airline, hotel, and travel agency policies. The British government made it clear they would provide no governmental justification for canceling scheduled travel as a justification for reimbursement for travel expenses.

Tourism is Dead

Despite the lack of specific warnings, tourism was dead in both Egypt and Jordan when I visited in December.

To be fair, there were still tourists in Egypt. Despite the conflict next door, the main attractions, like the Pyramids, Aswan, and Black and White Desert, were far, far away from the Eastern border. There was, however, a noticeable lack of tourists. Jo and I commented to each other that we could only imagine what the Pyramids must be like in peak season. We asked our guide what it was like in peak season, and he said, a bit sullenly, "this is peak season."

He told us that, normally, the Ancient Egyptian sites were full of people. The conflict next door and the travel advisories from Western governments had scared Westerners off. His company had canceled six tours year-to-date simply because of the conflict. Canada was the worst offender. On top of the conflict in Gaza, Canada and Egypt were in a diplomatic row over immigration policy, so Egypt suspended Canadians' ability to get e-Visas and visas on arrival.

Jordan was worse off. Much worse off. I could count on one hand the number of tourists I saw in Aqaba. Aqaba was a major tourism destination in the winter months. It had diving, access to Wadi Rum, and direct flights from Europe into the local airport. Taxis were prevalent, and many (if not most) restaurants had menus in both Arabic and English. And it was empty. The direct flights from Europe had suspended, because the airlines did not want to overfly Gaza, and cruise ships refused to traverse the Gulf of Aden.

The dive sites along the beaches, my dive guides told me, were normally full of people by nine in the morning. They were used to having to fight for parking spots and share dive sites. I do not exaggerate when I say we didn't have to share a single dive site with another group. Over my five days of diving in Aqaba, I saw one other group of divers and one pair of divers doing a Discover Scuba Diving trip.

The same was true in Petra and, I was told, Wadi Rum. As I mentioned in that post, I had been advised to get to the site early to beat the crowds. There were no crowds anymore. Shops and restaurants were empty. Tours from Petra and Aqaba to Wadi Rum, which were once plentiful, were outright canceled. The prices of accommodation had plummeted to as low as 1 JD per night in some places, because the demand did not exist.

Sites to Yourself

As a traveler, I am a bit ashamed to say that this turned into a positive for me. While the overall ambience (or vibe, as Gen Z says) was generally depressing, this was the perfect time to explore some of the greatest sites in history. I could really soak up the history, architecture, and views everywhere I went.

Philae Temple and Kom Ombo, for example, were totally empty when Jo and I went. A few people showed up later, but not enough to really be noticeable. We explored the sites, took pictures, and discussed aloud what we had seen and learned without fear of interrupting others. At one point, it was quiet enough that we were able to witness a call to prayer issued without a microphone.

I already mentioned the dive sites being empty. These were some of the most beautiful sites I had ever seen underwater, and we had them all to ourselves. We even swam straight out into the Gulf of Aqaba to look for a whale shark and had a 15 minute surface swim on the way back to shore. Normally, this would have been a bit risky, because the Gulf of Aqaba was a major shipping lane for Egypt, Israel, Jordan, and Saudi Arabia. But there were no ships. Companies didn't want to risk getting rocketed by the Houthis in the Gulf of Aden, so they didn't come. That meant a nice, peaceful swim under the Arabian sun for me.

Petra, too, was mostly empty. There was no rush to beat the crowds, and I could take pictures and videos more or less without worrying about people getting in the way. The site was eerily quiet, and the long walks between its features provided lots of time to contemplate the totality of what that place once might have been. I found myself on top of rock formations in long-abandoned shops alone taking pictures, videos, and surveying the surroundings. The hiking trails were just as empty. I could count on one hand the number of people I passed on these trails.

Struggling Businesses

A constant thought on my mind while I was in both Egypt and Jordan was how much the shop owners must have been suffering. In the big cities, like Cairo and Amman, there were plenty of locals to keep businesses going without a problem, but in the smaller ones they had to have been struggling. I had heard similar thoughts from other travelers.

Normally, going to restaurants in MENA had an annoying ritual where restauranteurs would hassle as you walked by to get your business. On a road with several in a row, this would get real old, real fast, but eventually they would give up on you as you walked by and turn their attention to the next pair of Westerners which were not far behind. This was no longer the case. There was a sense of resignation about these restaurant areas which, I was sure, once exuded a vibrant, bustling atmosphere. Restauranteurs would ask if you wanted to come in or see the menu, but would give up after the first "no."

The situation with shop owners was more depressing. In many cases, they didn't even try. They just sat outside talking with friends or on their phones until someone decided to walk into their shop. Often times, the lights weren't even on; they would turn them on when they had patrons, and turn them off again when the shop was empty. Anything to save money with their source of revenue dried up. A man from Scotland even told me that he stayed in a hotel where they kept the lights off even when he was there, because they needed to save the money on electricity.

As grim as a picture as that paints, it is the picture that I am painting. The shop owners didn't paint that picture for me. Instead, I witnessed extreme levels of gratitude. They knew I had other options and could afford to eat anywhere, and they were thankful that I chose to give my money to them. Tips at restaurants and for drivers were received with profuse thanks. I could see it in waiters' and owners' eyes that they were extremely grateful for any amount of money that could help keep their lights on just a bit longer.

Protests

People at home were mostly concerned with the political situation while I was traveling the Middle East. All they saw on Fox News, CNN, and MSNBC were the near-constant protests taking place all over. While these were legitimate concerns, they were not ones which bothered me.

For one, there were simply other matters which required people's attention. In Egypt, there was a looming Presidential election where inflation and border security were the top concerns. In Jordan, while many Palestinians were vocal with their opinions, they had to find work to keep money coming in. In Iraq, which I haven't discussed in this post for this very reason, the Iranian-aligned militia groups and their conflict with the Coalition were the more pressing security concern. On top of that, countries whose economies relied on Western tourism dollars in peak season couldn't risk driving those dollars away any more than the conflict already had.

In fact, the only places where I encountered mass protests were in Europe, specifically the United Kingdom and Turkey. Even then, I wouldn't learn about them until after the fact. I would get texts from family asking if I was safe, because they had heard about a 10,000 person protest where I was. It would inevitably be the first time I or anyone else in the hostel had heard of such a thing.

In Jordan, I did encounter boycotts of businesses which allegedly supported the so-called "Zionists." McDonald's, Burger King, Starbucks, and many more suffered severe financial losses, because Palestinians (which made up about 70% of Jordan's population) refused to send them business. On one of my days in Aqaba, there was a Jordan-wide business closure to protest the government's response (or lack thereof, in their eyes) to Israel's retaliation for October 7th. As a traveler, this made finding places to eat and get coffee difficult that day; however, I wasn't simply left to wander. Local men saw me out and about, and were helpful in directing me away from places which were closed and towards places that were open. Even in the face of a country-wide mass protest that affected everyone's livelihood, the hospitality from those whose businesses relied on tourists shined through.

Parting Thoughts

The conflict in Gaza is regrettable on many levels and for many reasons. I remember watching it unfold while visiting Jo's family in the UK and thinking that it would be over in a matter of weeks, as these flare-ups were not exactly uncommon between Israel and Hamas. I never imagined that the conflict would continue long into my travels, or that it would have the impact it has had and continues to have in all facets of life.

The TV show M*A*S*H* once said, "War isn't Hell. War is war, and Hell is Hell, and, of the two, war is a lot worse...there are no innocent bystanders in Hell. War is chock full of them...in fact, except for some of the brass, almost everybody involved is an innocent bystander." When Hamas launched its attack on Israel on October 7th, they probably never intended to put Palestinian-owned businesses in Jordan under financial hardship. When Israel retaliated, it could not have foreseen the Houthis driving global shipping away from the Gulf of Aden (which leads to the Gulfs of Aqaba and Suez and the Suez Canal). Travelers like me became a rarity. Despite government reassurances that tourism was safe, Westerners simply weren't willing to take the perceived risk with their safety by traveling to some of the most beautiful places on Earth.

I never once felt unsafe in Egypt, Jordan, Iraq, or Turkey. While the conflict's consequences rippled through the region, I found that the people there, while opinionated, had pragmatic concerns and priorities which are common to all people in the face of hardship: providing for themselves and their families, and setting conditions conducive to that aim. It was regrettable that a localised conflict affected so many people who were not involved. Hopefully those affected can come out on the other side thriving, and the tourism sectors rebound to their former glory.