On this 15th of August, India’s Independence Day, the Islamic rulers of Afghanistan… Celebrating the third anniversary of the capture of the capitalKabul, even as the world continues to boycott them. Now the Taliban is testing a plan to ease their troubles.
Afghanistan’s economy is struggling, infrastructure is poor, and poverty is literally killing people in many parts. But the Taliban will not relent: public floggings and stonings are still taking place, and women are prevented from attending college and working.
However, they are employing a new strategy to divert attention: showing the world another side of Afghanistan, a “beautiful” Afghanistan. The radicals have crossed all limits to attract tourists.
Two “very friendly” Taliban soldiers greeted British YouTuber Harry Jaggard at Kabul airport in late 2023. “I feel a lot safer in Kabul, Afghanistan than in California, USA. It’s crazy,” he said in a video.
US-born Samantha Shea, who runs the YouTube channel @SamanthaTaylorTravels, never tires of praising Afghanistan’s landscape, culture, food and how everything is good under Taliban rule. She is reportedly married and has settled in Pakistan.
Travel influencers are a key part of the Taliban’s PR outreach. Afghanistan-based travel operators backed by the regime are offering social media influencers up to 50 per cent discounts on tour packages ranging between Rs 1.5 lakh and Rs 13 lakh for 12 days.
Since the return of the Taliban, it has become increasingly difficult for Afghan women to dine alone, travel alone and mingle with other women in public spaces. They have to wear a head-to-toe burqa and have a male guardian with them to step out. But most of these rules do not apply to foreign female tourists.
Although they still must cover their heads in public places, foreign female travelers visit markets and restaurants, mingle with men of any age, and even pose for photographs with armed Taliban members, who have no objection to smiling for the cameras.
Taliban said cheers
India Today’s open-source intelligence (OSINT) team found remarkable similarities in the behaviour pattern of foreign travel influencers. They are all led by tour guides who keep telling them what not to film, where not to go and how not to behave. The story of their blogs is similar: they present Afghanistan as a safe and unique place and describe the Taliban as warm and welcoming, while also appealing: do not trust the media.
“Tourists don’t feel such restrictions. Wherever we went, we felt welcome,” a Ukrainian/American woman says in her vlog. “Is Afghanistan safe? It depends on who you ask,” she adds.
Afghanistan has seen a significant increase in foreign tourist arrivals since the Taliban recaptured Kabul in 2021, driven mainly by tourists’ willingness to travel to off-beat and dangerous locations and the availability of flights from Pakistan and Dubai.
Around 7,000 foreigners visited Afghanistan in 2023, while the number was just 691 in 2021. According to the report, the figure was 2,300 in 2022. associated PressHowever, the US and many other countries are advising their citizens not to travel to Afghanistan for security reasons.
According to reports, the Taliban’s tourism directorate is holding training classes for tour operators and guides, including on how to interact with female tourists.
Afghanistan’s only five-star hotel, Serena, has reopened its ladies spa and salon to foreign women after remaining closed for months.
To counter negative perceptions and gain legitimacy, the Taliban have launched a propaganda campaign on social media sites, X (formerly Twitter), YouTube and Instagram. In addition to photos and videos of beautiful landscapes and historical sites, these include claims that connectivity has improved under the new rulers and that Taliban fighters have transformed into a professionally trained armed force that can perform.
Ahead of the third anniversary, pro-Taliban handles on social media have shown soldiers carrying out maneuvers and exercises using military equipment left behind by the US and allies.