Tourism under the Taliban

Cloudless sun, a dreamlike landscape with rugged rocks and crystal clear water, ideal for hiking. All of this could evoke a real sense of relaxation if there weren't armed men all around you.

Anyone traveling to Afghanistan must prepare for numerous such contrasts: in the markets of Kabul, velvety peaches are lined up under colorful pyramid-shaped umbrellas, and right next to the fruit and vegetables are camouflage uniforms. Taliban with rifles supervise the whole scene.

Children stand by the roadside in the city center, knocking on car windows and begging: the faces of the humanitarian crisis that is hitting the country. In the background, huge, newly built palaces and ceremonial halls with lavishly lit facades rise. Weddings are held there, but without song and dance: Afghanistan is the only country in the world where music is banned.

There is another contrast: the country's most famous national park, Band-e Amir. A rugged mountain landscape opens up before the visitor, the yellowish-reddish rocks suddenly seeming to retreat to reveal a series of six lakes. Ultramarine-blue water spreads through the stunning landscape like a painter's dream. Yet the place is deserted - not a tourist in sight.

The reason is sobering: women are not allowed to enter the national park, or many other famous places, except in the early morning hours. That's why their husbands usually stay at home.

The Taliban want to attract tourists to the country

Despite everything, the Taliban want to boost the weak economy through tourism and are actively attracting visitors. According to the Ministry of Culture, more than ten thousand foreign tourists visited the country last year.

Kubib Gafran from the Ministry of Culture promises "a safe country, untouched nature, friendly people and affordable travel prices." However, there are (pre)conditions for this:

"If you come here, you must respect our Islamic and cultural laws. Within those boundaries, you can go wherever you want."

A small but growing number of influencers are doing just that. Among them is Ankita, an Indian who travels around creating professional content for Instagram. She finds the contradictions of Afghanistan hard to bear: “I’m happy for ten minutes and then sad for ten minutes, because I feel like, while people are really nice to us foreigners, the government is not nice to women at all.”

The blogger certainly doesn't want to portray Afghanistan as perfect. But she was curious.

Armed people provide a "sense of security"

Other travelers, like Hannelore, are also curious. The tourist from the Black Forest was not deterred by the German government's long-standing warning against travel to Afghanistan. According to the German Foreign Ministry, "consular assistance cannot be provided on site." The German embassy in Kabul has been closed since 2021, when the Taliban (re)took power.

When she told her friends she wanted to travel to Afghanistan, many were shocked, Hannelore says: "I told them I wanted to see for myself if everything was really so negative."

When it comes to security, she was pleasantly surprised. She says the fact that there is an armed man standing on every corner makes her feel safe. Others in her tour group, however, see the ever-present security forces as part of the landscape.

“Like trees or blue sky,” says Polish financial expert Michal.

Photographing women is not allowed.

Both are traveling on an organized tourist tour through the country. The government requires that every tourist be accompanied by a travel agency. The agencies then explain to the tourists how they should behave, for example at religious sites, and make sure that no one violates the Taliban's so-called morality code.

The rules can be broken very easily, for example if someone takes a photo that shows a woman. There is also a dress code that must be observed: while men can wear T-shirts and jeans, female tourists must be covered from head to toe. Unlike local women, their faces are still allowed to remain uncovered.

Travelers can only partially see the real situation of Afghan women, but it is obvious that many Afghan women and their children are not doing well in that country.

"I am not a supporter of the portrayal of Afghanistan on social media"

What do those in the country who are providing humanitarian aid think about tourism under the Taliban? Veronica Staudacher of Caritas says she is not a big fan of “the big promotion of Afghanistan on social media.” But she adds: “I think it is important to get to know the countries, and above all the people who live there, in order to understand what is behind it all.”

And behind all this lies the fact that a third of the population does not have access to basic health services, while maternal and child mortality is very high, explains Staudacher. Unemployment, poverty and hunger have gripped the country, further exacerbated by sanctions and international isolation.

The efforts to attract tourists seem helpless, but not surprising. The head of the United Nations mission in Afghanistan, Georgette Gagnon, agrees: "The Afghan authorities are de facto very interested in encouraging the country's economic development."

However, she adds that it should be ensured that any potential growth in tourism primarily benefits local communities.