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The ardor with which spurned suitors such as Croatia are seeking travelers is matched only by the enthusiasm of countries that have never had much luck attracting visitors. Two years ago, in an effort to dramatize his country's openness, Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi personally bulldozed a customs house on the Egyptian border. The invitation was ignored. Earlier this May, Gaddafi retailored his message to welcome foreign firms interested in developing the country's exquisite but deserted beaches and superb collection of classical antiquities. What the colonel neglected to mention is that U.N. sanctions ban international flights to the country. Thirsty travelers who brave the long drive across the desert from Egypt or Tunisia will arrive to discover that alcohol is totally prohibited and that even water is in short supply.
Those who respond to the call of such adventures may well return home convinced that the Central Asians didn't get their proverb quite right. Done properly, this kind of travel is no "foretaste of hell." It's the real thing.