Weary? In need of some sun? Relax and unwind with a trip to... Iraqi Kurdistan

A holiday in an area under threat from Islamic State militants is probably not most people's idea of a relaxing break. Yet a UK tour company is reporting a "massive increase" in bookings for trips to Iraq.
Wigan-based Lupine Travel has had demand for its tours to Iraqi Kurdistan treble following the recent escalation of the threat to the region by IS, and has taken about 100 bookings in a few weeks.

The agency's owner, Dylan Harris, has filled the forthcoming tour in October and two trips in May and October next year, each taking 30 people. As there are a further 40 people on a waiting list, he is thinking of running two additional tours in December and February.

Mr Harris, 35, said that while the Iraq trip had proved popular since it launched a year ago, he was "really surprised" by the recent surge in interest. "Generally when things like this happen, the numbers go down," he said. "I also do trips to Ukraine, which was my most popular trip until this year, and this year it's just gone crashing down. Nobody wants to go there. Iraq looks a lot more dangerous, so you'd think there would be less interest, but for some reason there is a lot more."

He said recent bookings were from a mix of "thrill-seekers" who perceived the trip as dangerous, and charity workers keen to check out how their organisations might get involved in the region in the future.

http://www.independent.co.uk/travel/news-and-advice/weary-in-need-of-some-sun-relax-and-unwind-with-a-trip-to-iraqi-kurdistan-9701799.html

LAST YEAR i read an article about a new minority "wave" of tasteless battlefield/disaster tourism junkies, who see something "cool" about taking tours through either countries suffering current wars and civil rest ~ such as Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria, the Ukraine, Sudan, Egypt, Somalia, Sudan, Libya, Lebanon, etc. ~ or following in the trail of natural disasters like Tsunamis, earthquakes, floods and fires...

THIS travel agent in the O/P seems to be yet another of the opportunists willing to profit from others' misery and hardships by pandering to these misery tourists, who seem to believe that they are being somehow daring and cutting edge while at the same time apparently immune to what the majority might think of their 'new age' vicariousness and what's basically a usurious '1st World' hobby..