The Taliban are trying to lure tourists to Afghanistan

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) —

About 30 men are crammed into a classroom in Kabul, part of the first cohort of students at a Taliban-run institute that trains tourism and hospitality professionals.

It is a colorful group. One student is a model. Another is 17 years old and has no employment history.

The students vary in age, education level and professional experience. They are all men – Afghan women are not allowed to study beyond the sixth grade – and they know nothing about tourism or hospitality. But they are all keen to promote a different side of Afghanistan. And the Taliban are happy to help.

Afghanistan’s rulers are pariahs on the world stage, largely because of their restrictions on women and girls. The economy is struggling, infrastructure is poor and poverty is widespread.

And yet foreigners are visiting the country, encouraged by the sharp drop in violence, increased flight connections to hubs like Dubai and the bragging rights of a holiday in an unusual destination. The numbers aren’t huge – they never have been – but there is a buzz around Afghan tourism.

In 2021, there were 691 foreign tourists. By 2022, that number had risen to 2,300. Last year there were 7,000.

Mohammad Saeed, head of Kabul’s Tourism Directorate, said China is the largest foreign visitor market due to its proximity and large population. Afghanistan also has advantages over some of its neighbors.

“They told me they don’t want to go to Pakistan because it is dangerous and they are being attacked. The Japanese have also said this to me,” Saeed said. “This is good for us.”

But there are also disadvantages.

Visas are difficult and expensive to obtain. Many countries cut ties with Afghanistan after the Taliban returned to power, and no country recognizes them as the country’s legitimate rulers.

Afghan embassies have closed or suspended their activities. There is an ongoing power struggle between Afghanistan’s embassies and consulates, staffed by people from the former Western-backed government, and those under the full control of the Taliban.

Saeed admitted that there are obstacles to the development of Afghan tourism, but said he was working with ministries to overcome them.

His ultimate goal is to give tourists visas upon arrival, but that could take years. There are problems with the road network, which is semi-paved or non-existent in some parts of the country, and airlines largely avoid Afghan airspace.

The capital Kabul has the most international flights, but no Afghan airport has direct routes to major tourist markets such as China, Europe or India.

Despite the challenges, Saeed wants Afghanistan to become a tourism powerhouse, an ambition that appears to be supported by the Taliban’s top leaders.

“I was sent to this department on the instructions of the elders (ministers). They must trust me because they sent me to this important place.”

The students also have ambitions. The model, Ahmed Massoud Talash, wants to learn about Afghanistan’s picturesque places for Instagram posts and Afghanistan’s history for media appearances.

Samir Ahmadzai, a business school graduate, wants to open a hotel, but believes he must first learn more about tourism and hospitality.

“They hear that Afghanistan is backward, that it is about poverty and that it is all about war,” Ahmadzai said. “We have 5,000 years of history. There should be a new page on Afghanistan.”

Classes include Afghan crafts and the basics of anthropology.

An unofficial topic is how to deal with foreign women and how their behavior or customs may conflict with local customs and edicts. Examples of this include women smoking or eating in public, to freely associating with men who are not related to them by blood or marriage.

The Taliban have imposed dress codes on women and require them to have a male guardian, or mahram, when they travel. Dining alone, traveling alone and socializing with other women in public has become more difficult. Now that gyms are closed to women and beauty salons are banned, there are fewer places where they can meet outdoors.

In a sign that the country is preparing for more foreign visitors, the country’s only five-star hotel, the Serena, has reopened its women’s spa and salon for foreign women after a months-long closure.

Foreigners must show their passport to access the services. Women with ‘born in Afghanistan’ on their ID are excluded.

The restrictions on Afghan women and girls are weighing on foreign travel companies, which say they are trying to focus on the positive aspect of cultural interactions by making donations, supporting local projects or visiting only family businesses.

Rocky Road Travel founder Shane Horan said a visit to Afghanistan should not be seen as an endorsement of any particular government or political regime.

“Ultimately, the goal should be to support responsible tourism practices that positively contribute to the local economy and promote mutual respect and understanding, while also staying informed of the broader political context in Afghanistan.”

He said there was no input from authorities about what tour groups saw or did, and that the company worked closely with a women’s rights organization in Afghanistan. A percentage of the tour costs went to supporting this organization’s programs, Horan added.

There are no women working at the Institute of Tourism and Hotel Management. The students don’t say anything about it. But an official at the Tourism Directorate does.

“It’s a heartbreaking situation,” said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals. “Even female relatives ask if they can study here. But there was a change in policy with the change in government. The women who studied before (the takeover) never returned. They never graduated.”