KABUL (SW) – In the past one year, Afghanistan has welcomed at least 9,000 international tourists, according to the Ministry of Information and Culture (M0IC).
On Tuesday, September 17, officials from the ministry presented an overview of their annual achievements, revealing that over 9 million domestic visitors have explored the country’s historical sites.
Qodratullah Jamal, the Deputy Minister for Finance and Administration of the M0IC, highlighted that popular destinations included Nuristan National Park, Bamyan, Panjshir, Paghman, Qargha, and the Qala-e-Ikhtiyaruddin.
He noted: “In addition to the 9,000 international tourists, more than 9 million domestic tourists were recorded visiting last year.”
Jamal also reported that 3,000 tourism-related businesses provided services, generating 48 million afghanis in revenue for the ministry.
On the media front, Hayatullah Mohajer Farahi, the Deputy Minister for Publications, stated that Afghanistan currently has 380 active media outlets, including visual, audio, and print media. He said over the past year, 620 press cards were issued to journalists.
Farahi emphasized, “We grant permission to all domestic media to operate, provided they respect Islamic values, national interests, and Afghan culture. Many media outlets resumed operations with the return of the Islamic Emirate.”
Farahi added that the finalization of the licensing process for YouTube channels and the establishment of a journalist fund are underway.
The ministry recorded 444 cases of media violations in the past year, with 320 related to YouTube channels, 55 to television stations, and 79 to radio stations.
Additional achievements reported by the ministry include the registration of 2,410 historical artifacts, prevention of the smuggling of 416 artifacts, a scientific survey of 400 historical sites, and the collection of over 10,000 songs and hymns.
