DFAT figures show Australians are visiting danger spots such as war-torn Syria. Source: AFP
WAR zones and terrorist hot spots are becoming travel playgrounds for daredevil Aussies.
Hundreds of tourists ignore the Government's "do not travel" warnings and fly into some of the world's most dangerous countries.
Figures from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade reveal war-torn Sudan, Afghanistan and Syria were frequently visited last year.
At least 50 Aussies are about to touch down in Afghanistan, while 12 will arrive in Iraq. Concerned officials have warned die-hard travellers to hire professional security and take out kidnap insurance.
DFAT's assistant secretary for consular policy, Paula Ganly, said Australians tended to be "a little more adventurous" when planning a trip.
"Some step out of the norm when they travel overseas, they want to do something a bit different," Ms Ganly said.
"Younger people travel to 'do not travel' zones to achieve something on their bucket list."
Ms Ganly said it was important for people to be aware that "terrorism is creeping across borders" and that the Government could not always help when things went wrong.
"A lot of people will rely on their own ability to get themselves out of trouble . . . we can't guarantee, but we will do our best to try to help," she said.
In the past six months, Cover-More sold 170 customers travel insurance for Afghanistan, three for the Central African Republic and one for Syria.
Spokesman Zachary Brookes said anyone could purchase insurance for any country in the world, although policies had exclusions for war, invasions and travellers not taking "reasonable care".
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