Taliban Suspends More Than 10 Tourism Companies in Herat

The Taliban administration has suspended the activities of more than 10 tourism companies in Herat province, saying the move was taken after a review of the firms. It is still unclear when these companies will be allowed to resume operations.

Bakhtar News Agency, a media outlet controlled by the Taliban administration, reported on Saturday that the reason for the suspension was “violations of work principles and regulations and continuing operations with expired licences.”

Hafiz Akhundzada, head of tourism at the Taliban administration’s Department of Information and Culture in Herat, said the companies were shut down after monitoring by the tourism directorate. He claimed the action was taken to regulate the activities of tourism companies, prevent violations, protect citizens’ rights and ensure transparency in the tourism sector.

However, the Taliban administration has not released further details about the names, exact number or type of violations involving these companies. It is also unclear how the cases will be handled and whether their activities will resume.

Herat is one of Afghanistan’s key western provinces, and in recent years the tourism sector and related services there have attracted attention, especially because of the province’s historical and cultural significance.