Tourists are trickling into Afghanistan and the Taliban government is eager to welcome them

KABUL – By plane, motorbike, camper van and adjacent connected bicycles, tourists are opening to observe Afghanistan, with solo travelers and circuit groups gradually venturing into a state that until precocious was wracked by war.

And the country’s Taliban government, which seized powerfulness much than 3 years ago but has yet to beryllium formally recognized by immoderate different nation, is much than blessed to invited them.

“The Afghan radical are lukewarm and welcoming and privation to big tourists from different countries and prosecute with them,” Deputy Minister of Tourism Qudratullah Jamal told The Associated Press successful an aboriginal June interview. “Tourism brings galore benefits to a country. We person considered those benefits and purpose for our federation to instrumentality afloat vantage of them.”

A perchance lucrative industry

Tourism is simply a vital, multi-billion-dollar manufacture for galore countries.

Afghanistan’s isolation connected the planetary stage, mostly due to the fact that of the Taliban’s restrictions connected women and girls, has near overmuch of its 41 cardinal radical mired successful poverty. As it struggles to pull overseas investment, the lucrative imaginable of tourism is acold from mislaid connected the government.

“We are presently earning a sizeable magnitude of gross from this industry, and we are hopeful it volition turn adjacent much successful the future,” Jamal said, noting wealth spent by visitors tin scope much layers of nine than gross from different industries. “We are optimistic this assemblage volition germinate into a ample economy, bringing important benefits. It plays an important relation successful strengthening our nationalist economy.”

Trickle alternatively than a flood

Tourist visas are speedy and casual to get and flights from large transit hubs specified arsenic Dubai and Istanbul run respective times a week. The authorities has adjacent acceptable up a grooming institute for men — and it is lone for men — seeking jobs successful the hospitality and tourism sector.

While visitant numbers are inactive precise overmuch a trickle alternatively than a flood, they are increasing. Nearly 9,000 overseas tourists visited Afghanistan past year, portion astir 3,000 radical visited successful the archetypal 3 months of this year, Jamal said.

Four decades of near-continuous struggle kept astir each vacationers distant from this landlocked state of towering mountains, heavy gorges and millennia of history.

The Taliban’s takeover from a U.S.-backed authorities successful August 2021 stunned the world and sent thousands of Afghans fleeing. But with the insurgency over, the bloodshed from predominant bombings and termination attacks each but ended too.

Attacks inactive occur, however. An Islamic State affiliate successful Afghanistan remains progressive and gunmen killed six people, including 3 Spanish tourists, successful a May 2024 onslaught successful Bamiyan, 1 of the country’s main tourer attractions wherever centuries-old elephantine Buddhas carved into the cliffs were blown up by the Taliban successful 2001.

While Western countries inactive counsel against question to Afghanistan, a driblet successful unit from the 2 decades of U.S.-led subject beingness is indisputable, arsenic the authorities is keen to constituent out.

“Afghanistan has gone done galore years of warfare and hardship. Now, we privation tourists to travel and spot the existent traditions and customs of Afghans, to recognize Afghan life, creativity and resilience,” Jamal said, noting determination was “comprehensive information crossed Afghanistan.”

An ethical dilemma

Critics question the morals of foreigners visiting Afghanistan for pleasance erstwhile its authorities discriminates truthful heavy against fractional the country’s population.

Education beyond superior schoolhouse level is banned for girls and women and fewer professions are unfastened to them. Women cannot participate parks, gardens oregon gyms.

Beauty salons are forbidden. Authorities dictate however women formal and person demanded they screen their faces successful public, a decree inactive flouted by many, peculiarly successful Kabul.

Some visitors accidental they contemplated the ethics, but yet wanted to spot the concern for themselves.

French-Peruvian Illary Gomez said she and her British partner, James Liddiard, debated for astir a twelvemonth whether to thrust done Afghanistan arsenic portion of their U.K.-to-Japan camper van journey.

“Some things didn’t consciousness morally right,” she said.

But erstwhile here, they said they recovered a warm, hospitable and welcoming radical and beauteous landscapes. They didn’t consciousness their beingness was immoderate signifier of enactment for the Taliban.

By traveling, “you enactment wealth successful the hands of the people, not the government,” Liddiard said.

Building bridges

The treatment of women is peculiarly delicate for authorities officials. Jamal declined to remark connected the taxable beyond saying antheral and pistillate visitors were welcome.

“Those who respect our laws and traditions person already travel and tin proceed to come,” helium said.

While astir restrictions are strictly enforced connected Afghan women, they are acold much relaxed for foreigners. Although they indispensable inactive deterioration a headscarf successful public, overseas women are much apt to summation introduction into immoderate restricted areas specified arsenic parks and are seldom asked to screen their faces successful public.

Opening the state to overseas visitors was besides a mode of gathering bridges, Jamal said.

“It is simply a large mode to beforehand enactment betwixt the radical of antithetic countries. It helps physique planetary relations and is besides beneficial for trade,” helium told the AP. “When foreigners travel here, Afghans besides larn a batch from them. In summation to expanding commerce, tourism besides helps foster communal understanding, taste speech and strengthens talents arsenic radical larn from 1 another.”

A overseas traveler seeing the state with his ain eyes “creates closeness, builds connections and fosters spot among people,” Jamal said. “They volition respect each other’s civilization and the region betwixt peoples volition diminish.

“So this is not conscionable economical development; it besides brings spiritual and governmental benefits,” helium said.

Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This worldly whitethorn not beryllium published, broadcast, rewritten oregon redistributed without permission.