Taliban wants more tourists in war-battered Afghanistan – women, too

After decades of armed conflict, Afghanistan’s globally-shunned Taliban rulers are desperate for tourism – and tourists have started to trickle in.

Tourism will help Kabul as its economy is struggling, the infrastructure is poor and poverty is endemic.

Increasing tourists

Afghanistan has no tourism infrastructure. Yet, surprisingly, the number of tourists arriving from various countries is showing a slow but steady increase.

In 2021, there were 691 foreign tourists. The figure rose to 2,300 in 2022 and to 7,000 last year. By Afghan standards, these are huge numbers.

The foreigners who are coming are encouraged by the sharp drop in violence, rising flight connections with hubs like Dubai, and the bragging rights that come with vacationing in an unusual destination.

A Taliban-run institute training tourism and hospitality professionals are trying to prepare a small group that will help sell Afghanistan’s scarce tourism sites to the world.

Mohammad Saeed, the head of the Tourism Directorate in Kabul, said the biggest foreign visitor market was China because of its proximity and large population.

“They've told me they don't want to go to Pakistan because it's dangerous and they get attacked. The Japanese have said this to me also," Saeed said. “This is good for us.”

Visa issues

The problems tourists face is that it is very difficult and expensive to get an Afghan visa. Many countries severed ties with Afghanistan after the Taliban returned to power. No country recognizes them as the legitimate rulers of the country.

Afghan embassies have either closed or suspended their operations. Saeed concedes there are obstacles for Afghan tourism to develop but said he was working with ministries to overcome them.

Kabul has the most international flights but no Afghan airport has direct routes with major tourist markets like China, Europe or India – unlike in the past.

Foreign women

But Saeed wants Afghanistan to become a tourism powerhouse.

An unofficial subject is how to interact with foreign women and how their behaviour or habits could clash with local customs and edicts.

The Taliban have imposed a dress code for women and want women to have a male guardian when they travel. Dining alone, travelling alone and socialising with other women in public have become harder.

Afghanistan’s only five-star hotel, the Serena, has reopened its women's spa and salon for foreign females after a long closure. But women with “born in Afghanistan” on their ID are barred from using the services.

Mutual respect

Shane Horan, the founder of Rocky Road Travel, said visiting Afghanistan should not be seen as an endorsement of a government or political regime.

“Ultimately, the goal should be to support responsible tourism practices that contribute positively to the local economy and foster mutual respect and understanding,” she said.