The most dangerous country in the world has suddenly attracted thousands of tourists: the number of tourists in a country that is invariably at the top of all “black lists” is steadily growing. We are talking about Afghanistan. It has repeatedly been named the most dangerous country in the world, receiving the lowest score in the Global Peace Index for the past six years. It was given the highest security alert level of “extreme” in the 2024 risk map due to levels of political violence and social unrest, as well as violent and petty crime.
But, as the British press writes, this does not stop tourists. Their number is slowly growing every year: in 2021, the country was visited by 691 foreign tourists, in 2022 this figure increased to 2300, and in 2023 already 7000. Tourists are attracted by the opportunity to boast of a holiday in such an unusual place, as well as by an increase in the number of flights – the majority come from China or Dubai. The small number of flights does not stop amateurs, nor does the fact that obtaining a visa is difficult and expensive.
At the same time, the British and American Foreign Offices strongly advise tourists to refrain from any trips to this Asian country: “You should not go to Afghanistan. The security situation is unstable. Travel in Afghanistan is extremely dangerous and border crossings may be closed. There is an increased risk of British citizens being detained in Afghanistan. If you are a British citizen and are detained in Afghanistan, you could face months or years in prison. FCDO’s ability to help you is extremely limited,” the warning states.
But in Afghanistan itself, they want to change the situation. Mohammad Saeed, head of the Kabul Tourism Authority, wants Afghanistan to become a tourism hub, an ambition that appears to be supported by top Taliban leaders. Some claim that they have created a special institute whose task is to train specialists in the field of tourism and hospitality to attract visitors. “People hear that Afghanistan is a backward country, there is poverty and everything is about war. We have a 5000-year history. A new page of Afghanistan must open,” said one of these students.