Increasing Number of Foreign Tourists Visit Afghanistan Amid Taliban’s Efforts to Normalize Image
In recent days, reports have emerged about groups of foreign tourists arriving in Afghanistan from the United States, Spain, and Italy. These trips are taking place as the Taliban administration seeks to present a more normalized image of the country’s situation to the outside world.
According to these reports, the number of foreign tourists traveling to Afghanistan is gradually increasing. However, clear details regarding how the tourists’ security is ensured, the types of visas issued, and the legal framework governing these trips have not been transparently provided by the Taliban administration.
Meanwhile, some Afghan residents have informally stated that political instability in Pakistan has diminished that country’s appeal to tourists. These views circulate publicly but have not been corroborated by independent data or evaluations.
Experts believe that a limited increase in tourists alone does not indicate a normalization of Afghanistan’s overall situation—especially given the ongoing widespread social restrictions, human rights violations, and the absence of an accountable legal system under Taliban rule, which continue to raise serious concerns among the international community and Afghan citizens.
