Few places in the world today seem like less inviting tourist destinations than Afghanistan. Yet some NGOs are trying to lure adventurers and backpackers to the war-torn country as one possible way to stimulate local economic development.
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It isn't easy going. Much of the country is an active conflict zone, and even those regions with relatively less violence have poor roads and minimal connections to the outside world. But the hope is that even a little backpacker foot traffic -- a few beds filled at guesthouses, a little income for guides and families providing meals to travelers -- might help bring money and more options to Afghan locals.
That was the thinking that inspired David James, a veteran British soldier who completed two tours of duty in Afghanistan and returned to the country in 2009 to found the nonprofit Mountain Unity. James says he became convinced that there would be no peace in the country until Afghans had other methods of generating income other than narcotics, corruption, and insurgency.
"Afghan entrepreneurs invest in opium because it gives them the best and safest return on their investment," he explains. "[But] the international community really, really needs to focus on helping Afghans find other ways to earn money.... I left the Army determined to return to Afghanistan and do something that would really help the Afghan people. I have to say tourism wasn't something that instantly sprang to mind, but when you really study it, it makes sense on many levels."
James isn't alone in his ambitions. In 2006, the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN), a coalition of development organizations that operates across Central and South Asia and the Middle East, began to develop its own tourism-promotion plans for Afghanistan. Among other projects, it, in partnership with the German government's development agency, mapped scenic backpacking routes and produced a glossy, photo-filled brochure of recommended treks. Today AKDN continues to train guides in the country's central highlands and northeastern regions.
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