Band-e Amir National Park sees record tourism surge

Bamyan province's historical and natural landmarks drew an extraordinary wave of visitors over the past month, provincial officials say.

More than 300,000 domestic and international tourists toured the province's heritage and recreational sites during the period, according to local officials.

Band-e Amir National Park, Afghanistan's first national park, accounted for roughly 141,000 of those visits.

Saboor Farzan Sighani, spokesman for the governor of Bamyan, said the figures reflect visits across several attractions.

These include the ancient Buddha niches, the ruined city of Ghalghala and the fortress city of Zahak.

Visitors also toured Band-e Amir, Chehel Borj in Yakawlang and the nearby Foladi Valley.

A steady rise in visitors

The reported surge fits a broader upward trend documented over the past several years.

Band-e Amir's visitor numbers climbed from around 25,000 in 2009, the year it became a national park, to nearly 170,000 by 2018.

Visits surged from 25,000 to 169,900 between 2009 and 2018, largely from Afghan travelers, according to data collected by CNN.

Band-e Amir is a chain of deep-blue lakes formed by natural travertine dams in the Hindu Kush, roughly 75 kilometers northwest of Bamyan city.

It was established on 22 May 2009 as Afghanistan's first national park to protect the natural beauty of the lakes.

The site is nicknamed "Afghanistan's Grand Canyon" for its dramatic cliffs and canyon walls.

Surrounding highlands are also home to snow leopards, ibex and several high-altitude bird species.

Growth amid persistent challenges

Local officials and businesses describe the recent tourism boom as a mixed development overall.

Reporting from Amu TV found that shopkeepers around the lakes struggled to convert foot traffic into sales.

Many shopkeepers cited widespread poverty among domestic visitors as the main obstacle to sales.

Infrastructure has also lagged behind rising demand for years, according to past reporting on the ground.

The Institute for War and Peace Reporting noted a shortage of hotel rooms in Band-e Amir during tourism upswings, forcing families to camp outside.

Security also remains a sensitive backdrop to the park's growing popularity among visitors and officials.

Afghan Witness and other monitors have documented past attacks targeting foreign tourists in Bamyan province.

Despite these challenges, officials in Bamyan continue promoting the province as a premier destination.