Internewscast Journal
  • Home
  • US News
  • Local News
  • Health
  • People
  • Guest Post
  • Support Our Cause
Internewscast Journal
  • Home
  • US News
  • Local News
  • Health
  • People
  • Guest Post
  • Support Our Cause
Home Local news Travelers Slowly Returning to Afghanistan as Taliban Government Seeks to Attract Visitors
  • Local news

Travelers Slowly Returning to Afghanistan as Taliban Government Seeks to Attract Visitors

    Tourists are trickling into Afghanistan and the Taliban government is eager to welcome them
    Up next
    Beyonce horrifies crowd as flying car prop TILTS mid-air
    Beyoncé Shocks Audience When Flying Car Prop Leans Mid-Air
    Published on 29 June 2025
    Author
    Internewscast
    Tags
    • Afghanistan,
    • and,
    • ARE,
    • Business,
    • eager,
    • Entertainment,
    • Government,
    • into,
    • James Liddiard,
    • Lifestyle,
    • Taliban,
    • The,
    • them,
    • tourists,
    • trickling,
    • welcome,
    • world news
    Share this @internewscast.com
    FacebookXRedditPinterest

    KABUL – An increasing number of tourists are exploring Afghanistan by plane, motorbikes, camper vans, and even bicycles. Solo adventurers and tour groups are slowly making their way into this previously war-torn nation.

    Afghanistan’s Taliban-led government, in control for over three years without international recognition, is eager to receive these visitors.

    “The Afghan population is hospitable and eager to welcome tourists from abroad and interact with them,” stated Deputy Minister of Tourism Qudratullah Jamal in an interview with The Associated Press in early June. “Tourism offers various advantages, and we are focusing on ensuring that our country fully benefits from them.”

    A potentially lucrative industry

    Tourism is a vital, multi-billion-dollar industry for many countries.

    Afghanistan’s isolation on the international stage, largely because of the Taliban’s restrictions on women and girls, has left much of its 41 million people mired in poverty. As it struggles to attract foreign investment, the lucrative potential of tourism is far from lost on the government.

    “We are currently earning a considerable amount of revenue from this industry, and we are hopeful it will grow even more in the future,” Jamal said, noting money spent by visitors can reach more layers of society than revenue from other industries. “We are optimistic this sector will evolve into a large economy, bringing significant benefits. It plays an important role in strengthening our national economy.”

    Trickle rather than a flood

    Tourist visas are quick and easy to obtain and flights from major transit hubs such as Dubai and Istanbul operate several times a week. The government has even set up a training institute for men — and it is only for men — seeking jobs in the hospitality and tourism sector.

    While visitor numbers are still very much a trickle rather than a flood, they are increasing. Nearly 9,000 foreign tourists visited Afghanistan last year, while nearly 3,000 people visited in the first three months of this year, Jamal said.

    Four decades of near-continuous conflict kept nearly all vacationers away from this landlocked country of towering mountains, deep gorges and millennia of history.

    The Taliban’s takeover from a U.S.-backed government in August 2021 stunned the world and sent thousands of Afghans fleeing. But with the insurgency over, the bloodshed from frequent bombings and suicide attacks all but ended too.

    Attacks still occur, however. An Islamic State affiliate in Afghanistan remains active and gunmen killed six people, including three Spanish tourists, in a May 2024 attack in Bamiyan, one of the country’s main tourist attractions where centuries-old giant Buddhas carved into the cliffs were blown up by the Taliban in 2001.

    While Western countries still advise against travel to Afghanistan, a drop in violence from the two decades of U.S.-led military presence is indisputable, as the government is keen to point out.

    “Afghanistan has gone through many years of war and hardship. Now, we want tourists to come and see the true traditions and customs of Afghans, to understand Afghan life, creativity and resilience,” Jamal said, noting there was “comprehensive security across Afghanistan.”

    An ethical dilemma

    Critics question the ethics of foreigners visiting Afghanistan for pleasure when its government discriminates so heavily against half the country’s population.

    Education beyond primary school level is banned for girls and women and few professions are open to them. Women cannot enter parks, gardens or gyms.

    Beauty salons are forbidden. Authorities dictate how women dress and have demanded they cover their faces in public, a decree still flouted by many, particularly in Kabul.

    Some visitors say they contemplated the ethics, but ultimately wanted to see the situation for themselves.

    French-Peruvian Illary Gomez said she and her British partner, James Liddiard, debated for about a year whether to drive through Afghanistan as part of their U.K.-to-Japan camper van journey.

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

    But once here, they said they found a warm, hospitable and welcoming people and beautiful landscapes. They didn’t feel their presence was any form of support for the Taliban.

    By traveling, “you put money in the hands of the people, not the government,” Liddiard said.

    Building bridges

    The treatment of women is particularly sensitive for government officials. Jamal declined to comment on the subject beyond saying male and female visitors were welcome.

    “Those who respect our laws and traditions have already come and can continue to come,” he said.

    While most restrictions are strictly enforced on Afghan women, they are far more relaxed for foreigners. Although they must still wear a headscarf in public, foreign women are more likely to gain entry into some restricted areas such as parks and are rarely asked to cover their faces in public.

    Opening the country to foreign visitors was also a way of building bridges, Jamal said.

    “It is a great way to promote interaction between the people of different countries. It helps build international relations and is also beneficial for trade,” he told the AP. “When foreigners come here, Afghans also learn a lot from them. In addition to expanding commerce, tourism also helps foster mutual understanding, cultural exchange and strengthens talents as people learn from one another.”

    A foreign traveler seeing the country with his own eyes “creates closeness, builds connections and fosters trust among people,” Jamal said. “They will respect each other’s culture and the distance between peoples will diminish.

    “So this is not just economic development; it also brings spiritual and political benefits,” he said.

    Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.

    Share this @internewscast.com
    FacebookXRedditPinterest
    You May Also Like
    ‘We’ll be back,’ says manager of Kerr County’s historic Hunt Store
    • Local news

    Manager of Historic Hunt Store in Kerr County Promises, ‘We’ll Return’

    KERR COUNTY, Texas () The manager of Kerr County’s historic Hunt Store…
    • Internewscast
    • July 12, 2025
    Rep. Frost introduces bills to fight excessive rental fees, ban credit screening for tenants
    • Local news

    Representative Frost Proposes Legislation to Combat High Rental Fees and Prohibit Tenant Credit Checks

    ORLANDO, Fla. – Symphony Betters knows all too well the kinds of…
    • Internewscast
    • July 11, 2025
    6-year-old boy survives near-drowning, witnesses angels in heaven
    • Local news

    Boy, 6, Survives Close Call with Drowning, Reports Seeing Angels

    AVOYELLES PARISH, La. (KLFY) — Independence Day was filled with family joy…
    • Internewscast
    • July 11, 2025
    Singer Chris Brown pleads not guilty to 2 further charges over London nightclub assault case
    • Local news

    Chris Brown Denies New Charges in London Nightclub Assault Case

    Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved Grammy-winning singer Chris Brown…
    • Internewscast
    • July 11, 2025
    Texas flooding survivor: 'People need to see' devastation firsthand
    • Local news

    Texas Flood Survivor: The Importance of Witnessing the Devastation Firsthand

    () As search and recovery efforts continue across central Texas, residents are…
    • Internewscast
    • July 11, 2025
    How your taxes will change under the ‘big, beautiful bill’
    • Local news

    How the New Tax Bill Will Affect Your Finances

    With the GOP’s “big, beautiful bill” passed and signed, wealthy Americans are…
    • Internewscast
    • July 11, 2025
    Fuel to Air India plane was cut off moments before crash, investigation report says
    • Local news

    Investigation Report Reveals Fuel Supply to Air India Plane Was Severed Just Before Crash

    NEW DELHI – Fuel control switches for the engines of an Air…
    • Internewscast
    • July 12, 2025
    Meet the Crew-11 astronauts headed to the space station
    • Local news

    Introducing the Astronauts of Crew-11: On Their Journey to the Space Station

    KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. – Four space travelers are preparing for departure…
    • Internewscast
    • July 11, 2025
    Dolton purchases Pope Leo XIV's childhood home
    • Local news

    Dolton Acquires Childhood Residence of Pope Leo XIV

    DOLTON, Ill. (WGN) – Dolton has closed on the purchase of Pope…
    • Internewscast
    • July 11, 2025
    SC man found guilty in relation to 2023 hotel fatal shooting
    • Local news

    South Carolina Man Convicted in Connection to 2023 Hotel Shooting Death

    AUGUSTA, Ga. () – A South Carolina man was found guilty in…
    • Internewscast
    • July 11, 2025
    Two dead in pair of Coles Co. crashes Thursday evening: Coroner
    • Local news

    Double Fatality in Coles County: Two Lose Lives in Separate Crashes on Thursday Night, Says Coroner

    COLES COUNTY, Ill. (WCIA) — Two individuals lost their lives in two…
    • Internewscast
    • July 11, 2025
    Tear gas deployed during protest at immigration raid in Ventura County
    • Local news

    Immigration Raid Leads to Arrests: Farmworkers Detained and Tear Gas Used on Protesters

    Editor’s note: affiliate KTLA reached out to the U.S. Department of Homeland…
    • Internewscast
    • July 11, 2025
    What the ‘black box’ can tell us about plane crashes
    • Local news

    How ‘Black Box’ Recordings Help Us Understand Aviation Accidents

    NEW DELHI – An initial investigation into last month’s Air India plane…
    • Internewscast
    • July 12, 2025
    Federal judge blocks 'unlawful' ICE detentions in southern California
    • News

    Judge Halts ‘Unlawful’ ICE Detentions in Southern California

    A federal judge issued a significant rebuke to the Trump administration on…
    • Internewscast
    • July 12, 2025
    One injured, lane closed in I-57 rollover crash in Douglas Co.
    • Local news

    Illinois State Police Celebrates Largest Cadet Graduation in 25 Years

    SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WCIA) — Illinois State Police celebrated the graduation of…
    • Internewscast
    • July 12, 2025
    Masters City Little League's Food Truck Friday raises money for complex
    • Local news

    Food Truck Friday at Masters City Little League Generates Funds for Facility

    AUGUSTA, Ga () – Enjoyable food for a worthy cause appeared Friday…
    • Internewscast
    • July 12, 2025
    Internewscast Journal
    • Home
    • Privacy Policy
    • DMCA Notice
    • Terms and Conditions
    • Guest Post
    • Support Our Cause
    Copyright 2023. All Right Reserverd.