Andreas
06.09.2002, 16:32
Einen interessanten Artikel über Tourismus in Afghanistan habe ich heute bekommen:
TOURISTS BACK ON AFGHAN TRAIL
Afghanistan looks to foreign visitors - and their money - to boost the
country and its economy.
By Abdul Baseer in Kabul
Considered one of the most dangerous countries in the world just one year
ago, Afghanistan is determined to throw off its reputation for conflict
and put itself back on the tourist trail.
London travel company owner Phil Haines recently led a seven-strong group
of Britons on a week's visit to this war-ravaged country and predicts a
bright future for the fledgling industry.
"Tourism in Afghanistan has a good future because many people want to
visit the country," said Haines. "Afghans are very hospitable and
everywhere we went they gave us a warm welcome. It was interesting for us
to see their traditions."
Afghanistan's beautiful landscape and ancient monuments have always held a
strong attraction for travellers, and the country was a popular tourist
destination throughout the Sixties and Seventies.
Young backpackers made up the bulk of the visitors, taking the "Hippy
Trail" across southern Europe to Central Asia, via Turkey, Iran,
Afghanistan and Pakistan.
The Soviet invasion in 1978 put an end to such adventures, starting a
cycle of conflict and destruction that was to last more than two decades.
The Taleban turned the country into a no-go area by the mid-Nineties. The
student militia's reign has left the country's heritage in tatters - with
museums and cultural artefacts destroyed. The Bamyan Buddhas, one of the
biggest attractions, were reduced to rubble.
In spite of this, the country has retained its wild beauty and the interim
administration is confident that visitors will soon return.
Despite unpredictable electricity and water supplies together with an
uncertain security situation, Haines' tourist was not put off visiting a
country that has made headlines for all the wrong reasons for more than
two decades.
"The purpose of our visit is to see all the historical places of the
country," Haines told IWPR from his guest-house in Kabul. "We started our
tour in the capital, and visited some historical places in the provinces
as well as the grave of Humaira, the wife of former king Zaheer Shah, who
has just returned from exile.
"We also bought some interesting gifts such as Afghan rugs and saw the
remains of the Bamyan Buddhas. From there we went to Mazar-e-Sharif and
saw its famous mosque."
Apart from the intrepid Britons, a party of Turkish tourists was also in
the country last week. They travelled overland through Iran and entered
Afghanistan at the border city of Islam Qila in Herat province.
"Afghans are so hospitable and they respected us a lot. We saw Herat and
its historical monuments. We also saw Kandahar, Kabul and Mazar-e-Sharif.
The purpose of our trip was to meet our Muslim brothers and get to know
them," said one of the travellers.
Dr Hisamuddin Humrah, chairman of the Afghan tourism authorities, revealed
that so far this year 75 registered tourists have visited Afghanistan from
Turkey, Switzerland, Japan, Iran, Pakistan and England. "When a foreigner
wants to come to Afghanistan they inform us and we prepare visas and
tickets as well as transport and accommodation. We also provide
translators, who can speak the local languages fluently, and a guide," he
said.
Humrah told IWPR that visitors are most interested in seeing the ancient
walled city of Kandahar with its pilgrim centre, 5,000-year-old Balkh, the
Chakari minaret and Balahisar Fort in Kabul, the grave of Sofi poet Khwaja
Abdullah Ansari in Herat, and the remains of the Bamyan Buddhas.
Ahmad Asadzai owns the Marvellous Guest House, situated opposite the
Pakistan embassy in Kabul. "Tourists are the future of Afghanistan," he
said.
"When they return home they will tell their countrymen about the peace and
security in Afghanistan, which will attract more people here - and earn us
more foreign currency."
Abdul Baseer is a Kabul-based freelance reporter
[Quelle: Institute for War and Peace Reporting http://www.iwpr.net/index.pl?afghan_index.html]
Es scheint tatsächlich so, dass man mit aller Macht jetzt schon Touristen und damit harte Dollars ins Land holen will. Mir scheint es allerdings etwas unverantwortlich, da Bombenattentate laufend vorkommen, die Amerikaner noch Luftangriffe fliegen und noch überhaupt nicht abzusehen ist, wie sich die Situation noch entwickeln wird! Wenn der Frieden eingekehrt sein wird, werde ich mit Freuden Afghanistan besuchen und auch dort trekken (Wakhan, Bamian, Band-i-Amir-Seen, etc...)
Kennt jemand von euch jemanden, der Afghanistan kürzlich besucht hat?
Andreas
TOURISTS BACK ON AFGHAN TRAIL
Afghanistan looks to foreign visitors - and their money - to boost the
country and its economy.
By Abdul Baseer in Kabul
Considered one of the most dangerous countries in the world just one year
ago, Afghanistan is determined to throw off its reputation for conflict
and put itself back on the tourist trail.
London travel company owner Phil Haines recently led a seven-strong group
of Britons on a week's visit to this war-ravaged country and predicts a
bright future for the fledgling industry.
"Tourism in Afghanistan has a good future because many people want to
visit the country," said Haines. "Afghans are very hospitable and
everywhere we went they gave us a warm welcome. It was interesting for us
to see their traditions."
Afghanistan's beautiful landscape and ancient monuments have always held a
strong attraction for travellers, and the country was a popular tourist
destination throughout the Sixties and Seventies.
Young backpackers made up the bulk of the visitors, taking the "Hippy
Trail" across southern Europe to Central Asia, via Turkey, Iran,
Afghanistan and Pakistan.
The Soviet invasion in 1978 put an end to such adventures, starting a
cycle of conflict and destruction that was to last more than two decades.
The Taleban turned the country into a no-go area by the mid-Nineties. The
student militia's reign has left the country's heritage in tatters - with
museums and cultural artefacts destroyed. The Bamyan Buddhas, one of the
biggest attractions, were reduced to rubble.
In spite of this, the country has retained its wild beauty and the interim
administration is confident that visitors will soon return.
Despite unpredictable electricity and water supplies together with an
uncertain security situation, Haines' tourist was not put off visiting a
country that has made headlines for all the wrong reasons for more than
two decades.
"The purpose of our visit is to see all the historical places of the
country," Haines told IWPR from his guest-house in Kabul. "We started our
tour in the capital, and visited some historical places in the provinces
as well as the grave of Humaira, the wife of former king Zaheer Shah, who
has just returned from exile.
"We also bought some interesting gifts such as Afghan rugs and saw the
remains of the Bamyan Buddhas. From there we went to Mazar-e-Sharif and
saw its famous mosque."
Apart from the intrepid Britons, a party of Turkish tourists was also in
the country last week. They travelled overland through Iran and entered
Afghanistan at the border city of Islam Qila in Herat province.
"Afghans are so hospitable and they respected us a lot. We saw Herat and
its historical monuments. We also saw Kandahar, Kabul and Mazar-e-Sharif.
The purpose of our trip was to meet our Muslim brothers and get to know
them," said one of the travellers.
Dr Hisamuddin Humrah, chairman of the Afghan tourism authorities, revealed
that so far this year 75 registered tourists have visited Afghanistan from
Turkey, Switzerland, Japan, Iran, Pakistan and England. "When a foreigner
wants to come to Afghanistan they inform us and we prepare visas and
tickets as well as transport and accommodation. We also provide
translators, who can speak the local languages fluently, and a guide," he
said.
Humrah told IWPR that visitors are most interested in seeing the ancient
walled city of Kandahar with its pilgrim centre, 5,000-year-old Balkh, the
Chakari minaret and Balahisar Fort in Kabul, the grave of Sofi poet Khwaja
Abdullah Ansari in Herat, and the remains of the Bamyan Buddhas.
Ahmad Asadzai owns the Marvellous Guest House, situated opposite the
Pakistan embassy in Kabul. "Tourists are the future of Afghanistan," he
said.
"When they return home they will tell their countrymen about the peace and
security in Afghanistan, which will attract more people here - and earn us
more foreign currency."
Abdul Baseer is a Kabul-based freelance reporter
[Quelle: Institute for War and Peace Reporting http://www.iwpr.net/index.pl?afghan_index.html]
Es scheint tatsächlich so, dass man mit aller Macht jetzt schon Touristen und damit harte Dollars ins Land holen will. Mir scheint es allerdings etwas unverantwortlich, da Bombenattentate laufend vorkommen, die Amerikaner noch Luftangriffe fliegen und noch überhaupt nicht abzusehen ist, wie sich die Situation noch entwickeln wird! Wenn der Frieden eingekehrt sein wird, werde ich mit Freuden Afghanistan besuchen und auch dort trekken (Wakhan, Bamian, Band-i-Amir-Seen, etc...)
Kennt jemand von euch jemanden, der Afghanistan kürzlich besucht hat?
Andreas