The Department of Information and Culture in Ghazni province has reported a rise in the number of foreign tourists visiting the region.

According to officials from the department, 345 foreign tourists have visited the province’s historical sites over the past year.

Mohammad Muzammil Hotak, head of the tourism division at the Department of Information and Culture in Ghazni, stated: “Last year, 350 foreign tourists came to Ghazni. The statistics indicate that many more foreign tourists will likely travel to Afghanistan, especially to Ghazni province, in the future.”

In a recent development, a group of nine Indian tourists arrived in Ghazni after visiting Kabul, Bamyan, and Herat, to explore the province’s historical and cultural heritage.

Most members of the group are elderly individuals who said they had long heard about Afghanistan and Ghazni, but due to the instability over the past three decades, they had not been able to travel.

“I have come here because I have read very much about Afghanistan in my school life ... I tried to come to Afghanistan but that was not possible because of the situation for the last 30 years but now the situation has been improved so I came to Afghanistan to explore,” said Amit Chowdhary, one of the tourists. 

 “One of the main parts is the Ghaznavid Empire and Mahmud of Ghazni, and that had a lot of impact on our history and culture. So, most definitely, whenever we hear the phrase Ghazni, it's Mahmud of Ghaznavi. So, that was one of the main reasons to come here with the minaret and the tomb which we will be visiting today,” said another Indian tourist, Misha.

The Indian tourists expressed surprise at Afghanistan’s current situation, saying that their experience greatly differed from the image portrayed by the media.

 “What we get to see in our country over TV is not something we are supposed to believe because people will only show you those things which sell, I am coming to a country which I want to see, l have heard of, I have read about the country in my school days and we are all here, people who have come here we are a group of people who love to travel that is the most important thing which is why we decided to come here,” said Ritu Parna Sarkar. 

“I came here for see the vast history of Afghanistan and I am [happy] to see the history,” said Munshusree, another group member.
The Department of Information and Culture in Ghazni said reliable security and the provision of facilities for tourists are key reasons for the increase in foreign visitors to the province.