Afghanistan and Türkiye are considering a tourism agreement to promote historic and religious sites, ease travel and train tourism workers, Afghan authorities said after talks in Kabul on Monday.
Qudratullah Jamal, Afghanistan’s Deputy Minister for Tourism, Finance and Administrative Affairs, met Türkiye’s Chargé d’Affaires in Kabul, Sadin Ayyıldız, on 13 July.
The statement summarised Ayyıldız’s view of the relationship, saying, “He described culture as the most important bridge between the two countries.”
The Ministry of Information and Culture said the discussions covered a memorandum of understanding, a joint working group, exhibitions and cooperation between tourism companies.
The Afghan statement highlighted Türkiye’s offer of support. It said, “He said Türkiye’s tourism industry was one of the country’s fastest-growing economic sectors and stressed that Türkiye was ready to share its experience with Afghanistan in tourism, hospitality, travel services and human capacity development.”
Afghan authorities are stepping up efforts to attract tourists. The ministry runs a Tourism and Hospitality Institute, regulates licensing and provincial travel, and promotes digital platforms. It says tour groups must provide itineraries and guide details to enable coordination with provincial and security officials.
However, the proposed agreement with Türkiye remains at an early stage. The statement did not provide a signing date, budget, visitor target or timetable for the proposed agreement or the joint working group.
Afghanistan is seeking to attract visitors to the Band-e-Amir lakes, the Baba Mountains, the Minaret of Jam, Herat Citadel, Timurid shrines and Kabul’s traditional bazaars, according to the ministry’s tourism directorate. Bamiyan, Ghazni and Kandahar are also being promoted for their historical and cultural sites.
More than 9,500 foreign tourists visited Afghanistan between March 2025 and February 2026, according to Khabib Ghufran, spokesperson for the Ministry of Information and Culture.
The increase comes despite ongoing security concerns. The United Kingdom and the U.S. advise against all travel to Afghanistan, citing the risks of terrorism, kidnapping and wrongful detention.
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