Letters to the Editor [Archives:2003/06/Letters to the Editor]

Unfriendly tourism in Yemen
Having read the article on Yemeni tourism (Issue 621, Feb. 3) I was moved and decided to write you a letter on the subject.
I am an American who worked in Yemen and visited it as a tourist many times. I am currently working as a teacher in Saudi Arabia and wanted to visit Yemen again.
I had a Yemeni student of mine call the Yemen Embassy in Riyadh to inquire about the visa procedure because, firstly, you don’t get a real person on the phone and, secondly, the recording you do get is only in Arabic.
He was told that I had to submit a letter from my employer stating he had no objection to my visiting Yemen and that when this was done, Yemen’s Ambassador would ask Sana’a if it was OK for me to visit Yemen!
I submitted the letter by fax as I was requested to do, heard nothing, and faxed again asking about the status of my visa request. After several weeks I received no reply to either fax.
I don’t know if you would share my opinion of how tourist-unfriendly this procedure is, but the result is that I was not given a visa (and indeed not even the courtesy of a reply) and hence, I am not visiting Yemen.
Maybe those who say they are concerned with tourism should investigate the real state of affairs outside the bounds of such pronouncements.
Thomas A. Winters
Don’t ask us for help again!
I see a lot of protest by Arabs to the American military buildup in the Middle East and possible war against Iraq. Personally, as an American, I would rather see the US pull out of the Middle East and let Saddam Hussein attack whomever he wishes. When he does, please don’t ask us for help like you did last time.
Mark Unix
[email protected]

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