Sustainable Future for Afghanistan, Part 1: Reviving and Re-branding Tourism

Dawn Erickson, Sylvia Vriesendorp and Maria Witz
3 November 2009

This article was first published by our friends at The International Ecotourism Society, who have agreed to its republication here. View the original article on their Your Travel Choice blog.

What Is It Like to Visit Afghanistan?

Afghanistan, before becoming known mostly for guns and bombs, was a popular tourist destination, not only to the world’s ‘hippie’ generation, but also as an attraction for those living in the region. Band-e Amir, which you may have heard of most recently in the news as it has become Afghanistan’s first national park in April 2009, was actually meant to become a national park in the 1960s, but political instability has put any development of the destination on hold until now.

Band-e Amir National Park, Afghanistan (Photo by Alex Dehgan)

Band-e Amir National Park (Photo by Alex Dehgan)

Sylvia Vriesendorp, who first encountered Afghanistan in 1978 – and recently returned – recalls:

“I had read James Michener’s Caravans, and as a teenager I read everything I could lay my hands on that described Alexander the Great’s push into Asia… Now I was in this country that he conquered and described. Ignoring the havoc and destruction he sowed along the way, I wanted to see the wild beauty of the place and its people with my own eyes. I wanted to see where he met his Roxanna in Balkh; I wanted to see Kandahar, this crossroads between the empires of Iran and India, always fought over, and still fought over today. I wanted to see Band-e Amir with its strange turquoise raised lakes, wondering how such a wondrous thing could exist for real.”

The 2003 Outside magazine article by Patrick Symmes, “The Kabul Express,” describes the “luminous mystery at the center of Asia” that was Afghanistan in the 1960s, when the country was “a symbol of something other than war.” Will Afghanistan, after decades of war and terror, once again become a ‘mellow’ destination enticing travelers seeking nature, adventure, history, and rare off-the-beaten-path experiences?

Afghanistan Attractions

Band-e Amir: A naturally created group of lakes with special geological formations and structure, Band-e Amir is well-known for the undisturbed pure-blue turquoise lakes and is protected as Afghanistan’s first national park.

Cultural Landscape and Archaeological Remains of the Bamiyan Valley: An important Buddhist center on the Silk Road, the site is an exceptional testimony to the interchange of Indian, Hellenistic, Roman and Sasanian influences as the basis for the development of a particular artistic expression in the Gandharan school.

Bamiyan Valley, Afghanistan (Photo by Ted Achilles)

Bamiyan Valley (Photo by Ted Achilles)

Shahr-i-Zuhak: Known as the Red City, Shahr-i-Zuhak is one of the eight identified UNESCO World Heritage sites in Bamiyan Valley. The historical ruins of the Shahr-i-Zuhak fortress overlook the red sandstone mountain side above a 100 foot cliff about 10 kilometers south of Bamiyan City.

The destruction of the Red City dates back to 1221 when Genghis Khan attacked it after his grandchild was shot by an arrow from the precipice. Bamiyan province including the trails have been cleared of mines through a program coordinated by the Mine Action Coordination Center for Afghanistan (MACCA) and the path to Shahr-Zuhak is open for tourists ready to climb the mountain to visit the spectacular ruins.

Can Ecotourism Thrive in Afghanistan?

While Afghanistan has an amazing history and a great array of natural and cultural (hidden) attractions, tourism in Afghanistan has many hurdles to jump. The country is in a war; land mines and unexploded ordnance inhibit development of tourist activities such as skiing. Afghanistan is also a target by many to be exploited for the numerous natural resources that it is trying to hold onto.

Ecotourism – tourism carried out in a sustainable manner focusing on benefits for conservation and communities – can be an alternative to more unsustainable economic activities, a way to utilize Afghanistan’s natural resources without exploiting them in an unsustainable manner and thus in the long term destroying what makes the country uniquely attractive to many adventure travelers, academics, nature lovers and visitors from both within the region and around the world seeking authentic experiences.

The Afghan government established the National Protection Agency (NEPA) in 2005 and passed the Environmental Law in 2007, laying out plans to develop sustainable management systems for such sites that will work toward promoting the continual development of the country, keep alive its cultural heritage and guarantee its many natural resources and wildlife are sustained for centuries more. The Environmental Law has several Articles, such as: Valuation of Natural Resources (25), National Biodiversity Strategy (36), Habitats of Protected Species (41), Designating Protected Areas (42) and many others that speak to preserving the country’s precious and beautiful cultural and natural sites and wildlife.

PARSA's Bamyan Family Park, Afghanistan (Photo by PARSA)

Bamyan Family Park (Photo by PARSA)

PARSA – Discovering the Afghan Spirit

PARSA, a non-profit organization dedicated to improving the lives of the vulnerable people in Afghanistan, is an example of admirable initiatives bringing hope for this war-torn country’s future as a sustainable tourism destination. One of PARSA’s many local initiatives, Bamyan Family Park, was founded in 2006, and is a unique Afghan land mark that sits below the famous Shahr-i-Zuhak.

Designed to be a special public space for Afghan families where Afghan women can be comfortably included in picnics or walks outside, the Bamiyan Family Park promises to grow into a self-funded cultural center and center of business training (through the Community Agricultural Training Center in the park) that will provide vital and unique programs focused on building Afghan business in the Hazarajat area. The park is also a great place for trekkers and hikers visiting Shahr-i-Zuhak to rest, have lunch, shop and enjoy the scenery. PARSA and its partners are working to develop ecotourism and social enterprise opportunities for the local people.

In October 2009, PARSA organized a public event at the park, showcasing traditional Afghan cuisine and music. The event featured conversations with renowned Afghan Chef and Hotelier, Ms Fauzia Assefi, and live Afghan music and international music. Ms Assefi is dedicated to the revival of Afghan hospitality services as well as promoting the rich history of traditional Afghan cuisine.

In the coming months, TIES, in partnerships with these (and other) contributors, will publish a series of articles on issues, challenges and opportunities for ecotourism and sustainable tourism in Afghanistan.

The International Ecotourism Society

The International Ecotourism Society (TIES) is a non-profit association committed to promoting responsible tourism practices that benefit conservation and communities. Representing the voices of stakeholders from all corners of the world, TIES' global network supports and is supported by members from over 90 countries, who are leading the vital efforts to make travel and tourism more sustainable. Your Travel Choice Blog is an interactive platform supporting TIES' mission to engage, educate and inspire everyone to make travel choices that make a difference.