Vacationing in a country torn apart by war and ruled by fundamentalists won't top everyone's bucket list, but the number of foreign tourists visiting Afghanistan rose 120% last year, reaching nearly 5,200. Travel officials in Kabul want Afghanistan to become a "tourism powerhouse," said The Associated Press. This ambition is backed by the Taliban's top leaders, who assured The Times that "attention has been paid to peace and order in the areas where tourists go."
Tourism isn't new to Afghanistan. During the 1960s and '70s, it was part of the overland "hippy trail" route across Asia, with "hundreds of thousands of Western tourists" passing through, said Sky News. As its "complicated modern history unfolded," the "steady stream of travelers stopped."Â
But foreigners are visiting the country again, encouraged by the "sharp drop in violence," increased flight connections through hubs like Dubai, and the "bragging rights that come with vacationing in an unusual destination," said the AP. Although the numbers aren't huge, they "never were," and there's still a "buzz around Afghan tourism." Tourists who visit will vacation under the austere control of the Taliban authorities, without consular support, and must comply with a strict dress code and submit to searches at checkpoints.Â
The U.S. State Department's Bureau of Consular Affairs currently advises against all travel to Afghanistan "due to terrorism, risk of wrongful detention, kidnapping and crime." But some "adventurous tourists aren't letting this stop them," said Sky News. "Unique sights, history and cultural experiences await" for those willing to take the risk. | 
