Afghanistan - wish you were here? The Taliban do
When it comes to planning a holiday, Afghanistan is not at the top of
most people's must-visit lists.
Decades of conflict mean that few tourists dared step foot in the
Central Asian nation since its heyday as part of the hippie trail in
the 1970s. And the future of whatever tourism industry had survived
was thrust into further uncertainty by the Taliban's return to power
in 2021.
But a quick scroll through social media suggests that not only has
tourism survived, it has - in its own, extraordinarily niche way -
boomed.
"Five reasons why Afghanistan should be your next trip," gush the
delighted influencers, their cameras sweeping across glistening lakes,
through mountainous passes and into colourful, busy markets.
"Afghanistan hasn't been this safe in 20 years," others declare,
posing next to the vast chasms left behind by the destruction of the
Bamiyan Buddhas more than 20 years ago.
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cv223yvnp9mo
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