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CNN Sunday Morning
Interview With Geoff Hann
Aired July 20, 2003 - 07:41 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: And staying on the subject of Iraq, last week, the U.S. government dropped its ban on Americans traveling to the country, though they did encourage people not to go, saying it's still too dangerous.
But some companies are ready to help people make their way to Iraq.
And joining me now from London is Geoff Hann, a travel professional who runs one of the companies hoping for a return to Iraq.
Good morning to you, Geoff. Thanks for being here this morning.
I'd like to ask you right off the bat who wants to go to Iraq right now?
GEOFF HANN, HINTERLAND TRAVEL: Lots of people. And there's a lot of people who want to add it to their list of countries they haven't visited. And there's enormous number of people who want to see the archaeological remains, which of course, they haven't been able to visit for nearly 30 years.
COLLINS: Is this something that people want to do at this very point in time, certainly amid this security concerns there?
HANN: Well, that's a bit more difficult because the security position appears to be getting a little worse. And of course, people are very nervous. And probably it's going to be next year that's going to be the favorite for it.
COLLINS: So talk to us the, Geoffrey, just in case people don't know about all that Iraq has to offer as the history is concerned. What is there? You talk about the archaeological attractions?
HANN: Well, you've got the Sumarian pieces in the south, which are 6,000 years old, as the origins of our writing systems, our geometries, our algebra, these state systems, kingdoms started in the south. You say you've got Zigarest (ph), too, which of course are biblical in descriptions.
You also have the Islamic religious sites there. And in the north, you have the great Assyrian cities, which of course are biblical. And there's an enormous arches, palaces, tombs, so much to see. Incredibly so. COLLINS: So is that usually what people want then when they go to Iraq? They want to get a better sense of history? And that same question, who are the people that are going? Are they older folks? Are they younger folks?
HANN: Most older. Don't forget that there are a lot people throughout the world, certainly the 60s and the 70-year olds have origins by classical education, which of course, they don't quite get so much today.
This year, we've been promoting a couple of tours. And we've got a lot of young people who really want to see what the international situation's like and what has happened in Iraq.
So of course, there's -- we've got sort of both sorts of people this year that have spoken to us.
COLLINS: So give us an idea, if you could, Geoff, of what this tour would look like and how much it would cost as well?
HANN: Well, the cost is round about -- with the flights, so you're talking about 1500, 1600 pounds for our normal 18 day archaeological tour.
But we've got a couple of post-Iraq war tours, which is again appealing really to people who want to go and see what's happening. And there, you're looking at a price of just about 1,200 if you include the flights.
And we'll come into Baghdad, get ourselves settled. Then we usually take people around the (unintelligible) of Baghdad, look at the palaces there, look at the river. But Baghdad, of course, is quite a modern city. And then we would go out to Delta Babylon, to Kisch Porsipa (ph), then travel on to Basra in normal times and visit Err, of course, en route.
Then we'd come north again to Baghdad. Then we'd go north further from there to Samarra, to Hatra, Ashur, to Mosul, to Nimra, to -- of course, about all the great classical sites.
COLLINS: Well, I mean, that is an incredible travel itinerary, for lack of a better word. Quite a busy I guess couple of weeks at least this would take.
When is the next trip scheduled? And how many people do you have signed up at this point?
HANN: Well, at moment, we've got this post Iraq War toll, which is cutting out the Basra section. But we -- and cutting through some of the other areas, but for security reasons.
But we -- that'll be on the 7th of September. And we have about eight people signed up for this one. Again, if the security situation diminishes -- gets worse, then obviously, we'll have to think again.
But for next year, our next tour starts in March. And that's our full archaeological tour and historical tour. And we've got -- I've got enormous number of people interested at the moment for that.
COLLINS: All right, Geoff Hann, coming to us from London this morning, a travel professional with great experience in the country of Iraq. Thanks so much for your time.
HANN: Thank you.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired July 20, 2003 - 07:41 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: And staying on the subject of Iraq, last week, the U.S. government dropped its ban on Americans traveling to the country, though they did encourage people not to go, saying it's still too dangerous.
But some companies are ready to help people make their way to Iraq.
And joining me now from London is Geoff Hann, a travel professional who runs one of the companies hoping for a return to Iraq.
Good morning to you, Geoff. Thanks for being here this morning.
I'd like to ask you right off the bat who wants to go to Iraq right now?
GEOFF HANN, HINTERLAND TRAVEL: Lots of people. And there's a lot of people who want to add it to their list of countries they haven't visited. And there's enormous number of people who want to see the archaeological remains, which of course, they haven't been able to visit for nearly 30 years.
COLLINS: Is this something that people want to do at this very point in time, certainly amid this security concerns there?
HANN: Well, that's a bit more difficult because the security position appears to be getting a little worse. And of course, people are very nervous. And probably it's going to be next year that's going to be the favorite for it.
COLLINS: So talk to us the, Geoffrey, just in case people don't know about all that Iraq has to offer as the history is concerned. What is there? You talk about the archaeological attractions?
HANN: Well, you've got the Sumarian pieces in the south, which are 6,000 years old, as the origins of our writing systems, our geometries, our algebra, these state systems, kingdoms started in the south. You say you've got Zigarest (ph), too, which of course are biblical in descriptions.
You also have the Islamic religious sites there. And in the north, you have the great Assyrian cities, which of course are biblical. And there's an enormous arches, palaces, tombs, so much to see. Incredibly so. COLLINS: So is that usually what people want then when they go to Iraq? They want to get a better sense of history? And that same question, who are the people that are going? Are they older folks? Are they younger folks?
HANN: Most older. Don't forget that there are a lot people throughout the world, certainly the 60s and the 70-year olds have origins by classical education, which of course, they don't quite get so much today.
This year, we've been promoting a couple of tours. And we've got a lot of young people who really want to see what the international situation's like and what has happened in Iraq.
So of course, there's -- we've got sort of both sorts of people this year that have spoken to us.
COLLINS: So give us an idea, if you could, Geoff, of what this tour would look like and how much it would cost as well?
HANN: Well, the cost is round about -- with the flights, so you're talking about 1500, 1600 pounds for our normal 18 day archaeological tour.
But we've got a couple of post-Iraq war tours, which is again appealing really to people who want to go and see what's happening. And there, you're looking at a price of just about 1,200 if you include the flights.
And we'll come into Baghdad, get ourselves settled. Then we usually take people around the (unintelligible) of Baghdad, look at the palaces there, look at the river. But Baghdad, of course, is quite a modern city. And then we would go out to Delta Babylon, to Kisch Porsipa (ph), then travel on to Basra in normal times and visit Err, of course, en route.
Then we'd come north again to Baghdad. Then we'd go north further from there to Samarra, to Hatra, Ashur, to Mosul, to Nimra, to -- of course, about all the great classical sites.
COLLINS: Well, I mean, that is an incredible travel itinerary, for lack of a better word. Quite a busy I guess couple of weeks at least this would take.
When is the next trip scheduled? And how many people do you have signed up at this point?
HANN: Well, at moment, we've got this post Iraq War toll, which is cutting out the Basra section. But we -- and cutting through some of the other areas, but for security reasons.
But we -- that'll be on the 7th of September. And we have about eight people signed up for this one. Again, if the security situation diminishes -- gets worse, then obviously, we'll have to think again.
But for next year, our next tour starts in March. And that's our full archaeological tour and historical tour. And we've got -- I've got enormous number of people interested at the moment for that.
COLLINS: All right, Geoff Hann, coming to us from London this morning, a travel professional with great experience in the country of Iraq. Thanks so much for your time.
HANN: Thank you.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
