The tourists and backpackers - who the people of Timbuktu were used to - have been replaced by journalists and soldiers.

BBC: Digging up the buried beer at Hotel Timbuktu

Since becoming a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1995, Luang Prabang has attracted backpackers in droves, and they still account for the majority of tourists.

FORBES: Magazine Article

The atrocious roads and the poor security mean that Virunga remains something of an acquired taste - most tourists are either adventurous backpackers tempted briefly over the border from Rwanda, or the very wealthy who come in by helicopter or private plane.

BBC: Mini-boom: DR Congo's volcanic tourism