Orzala, of RUSI, mentioned that whereas influencers with Western passports “roam freely, pose for photographs and acquire on-line fame,” these privileges are denied to Afghan girls, who’re barred from faculties, jobs and even strolling freely in public with out being accompanied by male guardians.
There are additionally ethical and moral dilemmas, she added, as a result of income from tourism danger not directly legitimizing and financially sustaining a regime that has institutionalized “gender apartheid.”
As for movies from influencers that present Afghan girls smiling within the background, Orzala mentioned, “This could by no means be confused with contentment or consent to the present actuality.”
“This isn’t cultural trade; it’s neocolonial tourism dressed up as journey,” she added.
Guests to Afghanistan are nonetheless within the low hundreds because the war-torn nation tries to rebuild its picture below strict Taliban-run Islamic legal guidelines and customs. Almost 9,000 foreigners visited in 2024, whereas almost 3,000 visited within the first three months of this yr, based on a report from The Related Press.
Together with journey influencers, some tourism firms are creating jaw-dropping movies which have since been reshared by Taliban accounts on social media in a bid to draw extra guests.
One outlandish 50-second video made by vlogger Yosaf Aryubi begins with an eerie scene of three individuals with luggage over their heads, presumed to be held hostage by the lads standing behind them, who’re dressed just like the Taliban with rifles slung over their shoulders.
“We’ve one message for America,” one of many armed males says, earlier than pulling the bag off one of many hostages, solely to disclose a grinning vacationer who provides a thumbs-up and says, “Welcome to Afghanistan!”
The video then cuts to male vacationers diving into scenic lakes and strolling via waterfalls, and even holding M4 rifles which might be revealed to be replicas.
Not each influencer sees Afghanistan in that method. In one other video, YouTuber Nolan Saumure, whose channel Seal on Tour has 650,000 subscribers, acknowledges that he solely interacted with males throughout his journey there.
In a 35-minute video titled “Afghanistan Has Too A lot Testosterone,” Saumure spins the digicam round to indicate a big crowd of Afghan males swarming him.
“It’s an entire sausage fest in right here,” he says.
