Dhe photos that adorn Shane Horan’s website say it all. One shows the citadel of Aleppo. The building from the 13th century towers over the old town, which was badly affected by the war. The Syrian flag hangs above the mighty portal, next to it is a portrait of the dictator Bashar al-Assad. “Syria has an incredible history,” says Horan. “Now that large parts of the country are safe, we want to show people its beauty and the warmth of the people.”
Horan, 36, well-travelled, has rented a co-working space in Berlin’s Mitte district, as it is called in modern German. Born in Ireland, he organizes package tours. But not in the traditional sense. With his company Rocky Road Travel he offers trips to some of “the least visited and most misunderstood countries in the world”. “The appeal is getting out of your comfort zone and trying new things,” says Horan. “And in places that have not yet been hit by mass tourism.”
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