Not all neighboring countries are suffering this time, however. Oman is seen as a stable and secure option, the sort of place favored by those who used to like Dubai and now want something more authentically Arab — Kuoni reports that bookings for the kingdom are up by 148 percent. Sonia Shaw, who has been leading tailor-made tours of Oman for the past five years, believes that progress has been accrued over years: “Oman is not associated in the media with terrorism or religious extremism. Besides that, the sultan is Sandhurst educated, the people are very moderate and you need a visa to get in.”
The Omanis have certainly been quietly investing in infrastructure: the vast new Shangri-La Resort has recently opened in Muscat and rules on foreign ownership of property have been relaxed around the new golf course and country club. There is also the US$15 billion Blue City development, a vast marina and leisure complex under construction near the airport that hopes to cash in on Oman's reputation for being insulated from Middle Eastern problems.
The country that looks set to benefit most, however, is Libya. Not so long ago a pariah, Colonel Gadafy's state is attracting a lot of interest — its archaeological heritage offering a good alternative for those who wanted to see the Levantine sites.
Denise Allen, a tour manager, was in Tripoli shortly after Sept. 11 and remembers the incredible reception her group received everywhere it went. “On one occasion we stopped at a bakery,” she said. “The owner was beside himself with happiness. We were all sat down and were served drinks and cakes. It was a wonderful moment.” For the tour operators and the tourists who tough it out, the greatest benefit is that extra contact.
Stevenson is in no doubt: “I'd actually go back to Syria immediately,” she said. “Of course I'd listen to the [UK] Foreign Office advice, but if that was OK I would go.” It seems that traveling in areas that have been abandoned by the mainstream, often unfairly, can reap all kinds of rewards.
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