A school for tourism and hotel management has opened its doors to students in Kabul, Afghanistan.
The students are of different ages and their levels of education and professional experience are not the same. They are all men because Afghan women are banned from studying after sixth grade. The men do not know anything about tourism or the hospitality industry. But they hope to show a different side of Afghanistan in the future. The country’s Taliban leaders are interested in their efforts.
The international community mostly rejects Afghanistan’s Taliban rulers because of their restrictions on women and girls. The Afghan economy is struggling. Roads, bridges and other structures are in poor condition and people have little money.
However, foreigners are visiting the country because violence has decreased. There are also more air travel connections from places like Dubai, and some people enjoy vacationing in an unusual place. The numbers are not large, but there is a notable increase in Afghan tourism.
In 2021, there were 691 foreign tourists. In 2022, that number rose to 2,300. Last year, there were 7,000 foreign tourists who visited Afghanistan.
Mohammad Saeed is the head of the Tourism Directorate in Kabul. He said the biggest foreign visitor market is China because it is close and has a large population. Afghanistan also has advantages over some of its neighbors.
“They’ve told me they don’t want to go to Pakistan because it’s dangerous and they get attacked. The Japanese have said this to me also," Saeed said. “This is good for us.”
But there are disadvantages, too.
Visas are difficult and costly. Many countries cut ties with Afghanistan after the Taliban returned to power in 2021. Nations do not officially recognize the group as the legitimate rulers of the country.
Saeed admitted Afghan tourism faces barriers but said he was working to overcome them. His aim is to have a visa on arrival for tourists, but that could be years away. There are problems with the road network, which is half-finished or non-existent in some parts of the country. Many airlines avoid Afghan airspace.
The capital Kabul has the most international flights. But no Afghan airport has direct regular flights to or from major tourist centers in China, Europe or India.
Although there are many difficulties, Saeed wants Afghanistan to be a popular tourist spot. It is a hope that appears to be supported by the Taliban’s top leaders.
An unofficial subject is how to interact with foreign women and how their behavior could conflict with local customs and laws. Examples might be women smoking or eating in public or interacting freely with men who are not related to them by blood or marriage.
The Taliban has a dress code for women and requirements to have a male guardian when they travel. Eating at restaurants alone, traveling alone, and socializing with other women in public have become harder. With gyms closed to women and beauty salons banned, there are fewer places where women can meet outside the home.
There are signs that the country is preparing for more overseas visitors. For example, the country’s only five-star hotel has reopened its women’s spa and salon for foreign women.
Foreigners must show their passport to receive services. Women with “born in Afghanistan” on their identification are barred.
There are no women at the Institute of Tourism & Hotel Management. The students do not talk about it. But an official at the Tourism Directorate did.
“It’s a heartbreaking situation,” said the official, who did not want to be identified. “Even female family members ask if they can study here. But there was a change in policy with the change in government. The women who were studying before (the takeover) never came back. They never graduated.”
I’m Ashley Thompson.
