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Swedish think tank takes stock of Afghanistan’s tourism sector

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Afghanistan is fast becoming an attractive tourist destination for foreigners given its rich history, culture and geographic location.

However, decades of war kept the country largely closed off to tourists, but now, two and a half years after the political change, tourist numbers among foreigners are growing.

Prior to the wars of the past 40 years, Afghanistan was a popular destination, with 90,000 foreigners having visited the country annually in the 1970s.

Today, however, tourists are starting to return.

The Stockholm-based Institute for Security and Development Policy writes that Afghanistan contains plenty of historical sites, multi-ethnic traditional cultures, multi-ethnic language settings, rich literature of Pashto, Dari, Uzbek, Turkmen, different social contexts, and terrific landscapes and locales including four seasons of the year for overseas visitors.

The country is slowly seeing a return of tourists but there are still some multidimensional challenges, including the absence of basic facilities and modern infrastructures, but these can be developed by the right kind of management, the ISDP reports.

The first foreigners to arrive in Afghanistan during this uptick in visitors came from European and Western countries such as the UK, Germany, France, the US, Australia, Canada, Spain, Finland, Sweden, Hungary, Poland, New Zealand, Belgium, Greece, Ireland, Netherlands, Italy, Turkey, Mexico, Columbia, Argentina, Portugal, Ukraine, and Chili.

In addition, visitors from Asian countries including India, Pakistan, Iran, China, Japan, Russia, Thailand, Philippines, and other countries visited Afghanistan.

ISDP stated that when these tourists arrive in Afghanistan, they tend to wear traditional Afghan clothes, eat Afghan food, and learn about Afghan traditional customs, which is an excellent route for cultural growth.

The steady growth in foreign tourists to Afghanistan is primarily thanks to improved security and given the current situation, this sector looks likely to carry on growing – which will aid the country’s weak economy and lead to the creation of jobs and opportunities for Afghans.

However, the ISDP points out that Afghanistan needs a comprehensive policy framework to support and promote the tourism industry and cultural constituency of Afghanistan to attract more foreign tourists annually.

As such, the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) should issue tourist visas for free and provide full security in the country for tourists to travel without any fear or threat.

Additionally, foreign tourists need facilities of value and convenience; national and local maps, travel guides, transportation, safety and security, suitable options for accommodation and upscale restaurants.

ISDP writes that despite economic challenges in Afghanistan, the government needs to revive the tourism industry and seek funds from UNESCO to promote the cultural and historical values of the country.

It is important to rebuild and repair ancient monuments, sculptures, old citadels, reputed mosques, ancient shrines and gardens, and other landmarks and archaeological remnants of ancient kingdoms, empires, and governments.

The government also needs to provide facilities around these sites, for example, roads, parks, restaurants, and entertainment services.

For this purpose, private and public sector partnerships are required to transform tourism back into a viable economic industry, ISDP writes.

A functional, specialized web portal should also be developed focusing on Afghanistan tourism and culture industry to offer an accurate picture.

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US senator pushes bill to block US funds from reaching Afghanistan

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Republican Senator Tim Sheehy said on Monday night that he is leading efforts to push the No Taxpayer Funding for Terrorists Act in the US Senate, which will prevent American financial aid from reaching Afghanistan.

In a post on X, the Montana senator, who is a former Navy Seal, said: “After fighting terrorists for years in Iraq and Afghanistan, I’m proud to lead the No Tax Dollars for Terrorists Act in the U.S. Senate.”

The bill was originally introduced in the House of Representatives by Republican Congressman Tim Burchett to oppose financial and material support from going to the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA). The bill was passed during President Joe Biden’s administration but failed to secure Senate approval.

However, on Monday, Congressman Tim Burchett issued a statement saying he will hold a press conference on Tuesday, February 25, on the Act.

He said in Monday’s statement that while working on the bill “it was brought to our attention that weekly cash shipments of around $40 million USD were being sent to the Afghanistan Central Bank.

“Additionally, after a hearing before the House Foreign Affairs Committee with Secretary of State Antony Blinken in December of 2024, Secretary Blinken admitted that around $10 million had been paid to the Taliban (IEA) in the form of taxes.”

He said the bill was “passed unanimously through both the House Foreign Affairs Committee and the House of Representatives. Unfortunately, then-Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer refused to bring the bill to the floor for a vote.”

“This legislation has been sat on long enough. We need to move this through both chambers and get it to President Trump’s desk,” said Burchett.

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Torkham remains closed after Pakistan-Afghanistan talks fail

The Pakistani authorities have requested that the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) refrain from constructing new facilities along the Durand Line.

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The Torkham border crossing between Afghanistan and Pakistan remained closed on Tuesday after four days of negotiations between officials from the two countries failed to yield results.

Torkham commissioner Abdul Jabbar Hikmat reported that discussions held Monday were chaired by the deputy governor of Nangarhar but ended without any agreement.

The Pakistani authorities have requested that the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) refrain from constructing new facilities along the Durand Line.

According to Bakhtar news agency, Pakistan also said Afghanistan should not obstruct Pakistan’s own development projects in the area.

Hikmat confirmed that this request was rejected by the Afghan side, which resulted in Pakistan maintaining its closure of the Torkham gate.

The ongoing closure has left thousands of travelers, including medical patients and commercial convoys stranded on both sides of the border.

Torkham is a key crossing between Afghanistan and Pakistan, especially for trucks. Closures of this border crossing result in huge losses for traders as many rely on this route to move fresh produce between the two countries.

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IEA confirms arrest of UK couple and a Chinese-American in Afghanistan

Meanwhile, Britain’s Foreign Office confirmed the detention of the two British nationals adding that the government was supporting their family.

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Afghanistan’s ministry of interior’s spokesman, Abdul Mateen Qani, confirmed Monday night that the Islamic Emirate has detained two Brits, a Chinese-American, and their Afghan translator.

Qani told AFP that “efforts are underway to resolve this issue”.

The two Brits, Peter and Barbie Reynolds, are both in their 70s and were detained in Bamiyan province.

According to their daughter, the couple has lived in Afghanistan for 18 years and stayed on after the IEA regained control.

“Based on certain considerations, the authorities have detained four people: two British citizens holding Afghan papers, one person with Chinese and American nationality and their translator,” Qani told AFP.

Meanwhile, Britain’s Foreign Office confirmed the detention of the two British nationals adding that the government was supporting their family.

“We are supporting the family of two British nationals who are detained in Afghanistan,” a spokesperson said in a statement on Monday.

In a statement reported by the BBC on Monday, Qani said: “A series of considerations are being taken into account, and after evaluation, we will endeavour to release them as soon as possible.”

Qani added the three foreign nationals had Afghan passports and national ID cards.

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