The Obstacles of Making "off the Beaten Path" Get on the "Beaten Path"

Every unplanned trip has its unforeseen circumstances, and sometimes those unforeseen circumstances can get quite costly.  And there was certainly one of those on this particular trip through the Silk Road.  On the way back from Yerevan, the Armenian capital to Tokyo, the cheapest way would have been to fly through to Russia and then to Japan.  The next cheapest, involving non-Russian transitions, would have been costlier by a margin of close to 300 usd.

But there was a catch.  Russia, being the vast country that it is, often contains multiple hubs in the western and eastern ends of the country.  International flights crossing across the Eurasia continent through Russia often meant stopping more than once within its borders.  That would have required transit visa for any foreigner, to be applied in advance.  The author did not know.  The result was more than 600 usd down the drain in unused ticket, and an unexpected detour in Abu Dhabi along with lengthy airport transits.

Of course, the mistake is entirely that of the author's, as he did not do his research thoroughly in advance to plan out the trip and get the necessary documentations.  Yet, the fact authorities in countries like Russia do not collaborate with airlines to match convenient flying with convenient visa schemes speak volumes about the hurdles the local tourism industry has to go through in order to become major sources of foreign income, as many certainly hope for.

The Russian visa example is just the most extreme of many bureaucratic resistance to easier foreign access. China's restrictions on foreigners staying in anything but a few designated hotels, the antagonism over Nagorno Karabakh between Azerbaijan and Armenia that carry over into hostile passport checks, historical animosity between Turkey and Armenia that ensure borders are firmly shut... There are so many more issues along the way that provide plenty of headaches for casual foreign travelers.

Few intrepid travelers will of course still make the trips, but they will take home the messages of difficulties faced on the trips.  The inevitably negative words of mouth will deter their less intrepid traveler friends from making the same trips, choosing instead to head to places that are more tourist friendly.  The political bickerings of neighbors turn into unfavorable circumstances that drive many rich foreign tourists away.  Ambitious tourist projects fall flat across the region because tourist numbers remain low.

It is a shame and misfortune considering so much tourist potential exists.  Friendly people, gorgeous views of nature, and first rate historical sights.  Some governments and local organizations are investing heavily to develop those tourist resources for international visitors.  But without serious efforts to address the hurdles faced by tourists that have nothing to do with what they come for, it is unlikely that the returns on such tourist investments are good, in the short or the long term.

The least governments could do is to simplify the entry process for foreigners.  Most Central Asian and Caucasus countries have no political issues with most states, and the threat of illegal migration remain low due to low wages and lack of job opportunities.  Certainly, overt overtures to welcome foreigners would draw suspicion from a Russia that continues to see the regions as its exclusive backyard, but as Russian economic clout in the regions weakens, other foreigners will be welcomed nonetheless.

As visa schemes are simplified, there needs to be concerted efforts to invest in transport links and marketing.  The major problems these countries face are that foreigners do not know what there are to see and do, and thus conclude that they are not worth visiting given the major hassle and expense of transporting themselves there.  The state should greatly subsidize airlines and marketing agencies to reach out to foreigners directly (without Russian influence/connections) to bring them in cheaply.