Taliban Invites Female Travelers to Afghanistan
Afghanistan wants to get away from the image of conflict and poverty. Tourism is one way.
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Puppet traders in Mazar-i-Sharif, Afghanistan, on Sunday (5/5/2024).
Various popular tourist attractions in the world have issued policies limiting tourist arrivals. Meanwhile Afghanistan under Taliban is actually trying to attract more foreign tourists, including women. Tourism is considered to be a sector that can trigger the country's development. However, this gave rise to a number of polemics.
News of traveler restrictions was heard from the end of April 2024 to the beginning of May. Meanwhile, Afghanistan still lacks travelers.
Also read: When Foreign Travelers Start Exploring Afghanistan
The Afghan Tourism Directorate, which operates under Taliban control, recorded that 7,000 foreign tourists visited in 2023. In 2022, only 2,300 foreign tourists came, while in 2021, the year of the Taliban's return to power, only 670 foreign tourists visited Afghanistan.
"The majority of tourists come from China, some from Japan. They say they chose Afghanistan because it is safer than Pakistan. This is a good opportunity for us," said Muhammad Saeed, Director of Tourism in Afghanistan.
A number of residents take selfies at the Darul Aman Palace in Kabul, Afghanistan, in April 2024.
The security situation in Pakistan is still unstable. Kidnappings or attacks on China's infrastructure projects have occurred several times. Some parties even specifically target Chinese citizens working in Pakistan.
On the contrary, China was the first country to embrace the Taliban as the factual government of Afghanistan. As a result, China's infrastructure projects in Afghanistan are running relatively smoothly.
Also read: Afghanistan, an important test for China in the eyes of the world
The Tourism Directorate then held a training class for Afghan citizens who want to work in the industry. Women are not allowed to attend this class due to Taliban orders stating that women can only receive education up to sixth grade.
"I want to further explore the potential of historical tourism in Afghanistan. We have an interesting 5,000-year history. Afghanistan is not just a story of conflict and poverty," said Samir Ahmadzai, an economics scholar who took part in a tourism training class.
Female tourist
One of the subjects taught in the class is how to interact with foreign women. The participants were told that it is common for women to travel alone abroad. Therefore, do not be surprised to see foreign women walking alone, eating in restaurants, and talking to men who are not their mahram.
Residents of Badakshan, Afghanistan, witness traditional wrestling at the end of April 2024.
Nevertheless, the category of foreign female tourists allowed to enter Afghanistan is still limited. Afghan diaspora women who have become citizens of other countries are not allowed to enter at all, except with their father, husband, or brother.
Reporting from the tourism publication NZZ September 7 2023 edition, Emma Witters is one of the first female tourists to enter Afghanistan since 2021. Witters is a British citizen and has a travel blog around the world. He also has a channel on YouTube and regularly uploads videos of his travels in Afghanistan.
“I pay attention to local rules, for example never removing the headscarf. I put a YouTube sticker on my camera to indicate that I am a vlogger. "Every time I change provinces, my passport is always stamped," he said.
Witter claims to have never encountered danger while traveling in Afghanistan. In WhatsApp conversations on social media, there is a special group for backpacker tourists in Afghanistan. They always share information, starting from comfortable hotels, unique tourist sites, restaurants with delicious food, and the most recent security situation.
An Afghan woman and her child in Argo District, Badakshan, on May 1, 2024.
In Kabul, salons and spas have been closed since 2021. However, at the Serena Hotel, a salon and spa exclusively for foreign women clients has reopened.
Joan Torres from the tourism page Against the Compass on Tuesday (7/5/2024) explained that visas on arrival are starting to be available in Afghanistan, although only in one place. This arrival visa can be purchased for 150 US dollars at the Shir Khan border post which is adjacent to Tajikistan.
Also read: Indonesia Advocates Solidarity with Afghan Women
According to Torres, it is safer to purchase an Afghanistan visa from the embassy of the country that is still open for service. Embassies that still provide visa services include those in Doha (Qatar), Dubai, and Abu Dhabi (United Arab Emirates), Bishkek (Kyrgyzstan), and Istanbul (Turkey).
Be careful
The growth of tourism in Afghanistan is still being monitored and reviewed by various parties. Firstly, there are suspicions that the reason the Taliban opened up tourism access is to clean up their image. To this day, no country in the world recognizes this group as the legitimate government of Afghanistan.
Taliban members take selfies at the tomb of King Nadir Shah (1833-1933) in Kabul, Afghanistan, on April 24, 2024.
"Another concern is the reason why tourists visit Afghanistan, which is disaster tourism, or going on vacation to see the suffering of the community that is considered left behind," said Arash Azizzada, founder of the Afghan NGO for Tomorrow (AABT), to CNN's February 14, 2023 edition.
Therefore, Azizzada emphasized the importance of increasing the awareness of tourists who visit Afghanistan to respect the history and traditions of the country. Tourist programs should also aim to build the local economy and improve the welfare of the community. (AP)
