Over 350 new tourism companies established in Afghanistan

Nearly 350 new tourism companies have started operations in Afghanistan in the past 12 months. The number of tourism companies operating in the country has now reached to 1,500 companies. People who have created new tourism companies say that they have started the business as the rate of migration of people to foreign countries, especially Iran and Pakistan, has increased.

In an interview with The Kabul Times correspondent, deputy marketing of Afghan-Tour department of the ministry of information and culture Noor Mohammad Hassankhil said currently nearly 1,500 tourism companies were operating across the country, adding that 250 tourism companies were only in Kabul, while the rest were in other provinces of the country.

“After the Islamic Emirate (IEA) takeover on 15th August 2021, the Afghan-Tour department has issued license to nearly 350 new tourism companies in Kabul and other provinces of the country, the licenses for nearly 150 companies have been extended,” Hassankhil said.

According to deputy of the Afghan-Tour department, all tourism companies are providing services in selling plane tickets for domestic and international flights, booking hotels and providing passengers with accommodations and visas of various foreign countries.

Pointing to granting licenses to tourism companies, Hassankhil said that tourism companies were previously granted 1-year licenses and had to pay 20,000 AFG, while the new tourism companies had to pay 60,000 AFG to get the working licenses for three years. He added that the companies had to pay 30,000 for extension of their licenses.

A number of Afghans believe that the number of tourism companies has increased in recent months as the number of those migrating to neighboring countries has unprecedentedly increased.

Sayed Waris Jawad, who has newly created a tourism company, says he has run the company for the past one year.

“A number of individuals who have lost their jobs in government and non-government institutions have now turned to create new tourism companies in the country,” Jawad said, adding that with the increasing number of those traveling abroad, the people want to create new tourism companies in the country.

Meanwhile, a number of Afghan citizens say the people are facing with lots of problems in getting foreign visas particularly from those embassies operating in Kabul, the capital.