KABUL, Afghanistan — The land-locked country long synonymous with conflict is quietly sliding onto bucket lists for the most daring globetrotters. And the numbers back it up: Afghanistan’s Ministry of Information and Culture reports almost 9,000 foreign arrivals in 2023, a dramatic leap from only a few hundred when the Taliban reclaimed power in 2021.

Taliban opens Afghanistan's gates to adventure tourists

Afghanistan, long shunned by mainstream travelers because of war and instability, is positioning itself as the world’s newest frontier for adventure tourism, as reported by The Associated Press. Officials in Kabul say nearly 9,000 foreigners entered the country last year and another 3,000 arrived in the first quarter of 2025—numbers that, while modest, signal a steady uptick for a nation that was virtually off-limits for four decades.