Tourists are beginning to return to Afghanistan

• published: 23 Jul 2015
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Band-e-Amir, Bamiyan province 16, June, 2009 1. Various of Band-e-Amir dam scenery shots 2. Various of Band-e-Amir cascades 3. Local and foreign tourists walking 4. Wide of tourists at the site 5. Various of visitors in a pedalo 6. Various Afghan Canadian tourist, Ali Babur Ghulam visiting Band-e-Amir dam 7. SOUNDBITE: (English) tourist, Ali Babur Ghulam: "My father was actually working in tour guide company back in the 60's and he was taking truck loads if not bus loads of tourists out to see the sites. And if that was happening 40, 50 years ago, why not now? I mean yeah, gradually the security situation has to improve, but that is going to come one day." Bamiyan city, Bamiyan province 15, June, 2009 8. Wide of Buddha statue view in Bamyan city 9. Close of Buddha statue 10. Wide of traffic in Bamiyan city 11. Mid of group of girls walking 12. SOUNDBITE: (Dari) Director of Bamiyan provincial cultural and information department, Najibullah Ahrar: "Security issues, which are going on in Afghanistan, specially in some of the very insecure provinces of Afghanistan have created some tension among the tourists and hope of visiting which they have been postponed, but in compare with the past few years this year we have some number of tourists visiting Bamiyan." 13. Wide of tourist guide trainees attending a social information training session in Bamiyan tourism office 14. Various of Reza Mohammadi training the tourist guide trainees 15. Close of tourist guide trainee listening 16. Band-e-Amir poster 17. SOUNDBITE (Dari) tourist guide trainer, Reza Mohammadi: "Tourists are coming to Bamiyan to enjoy their stay here. To give more information, reveal the true realities, and information about the history and places to visit we train these people." 18. Mid of class session 19. Close of Band-e- Amir poster 20. Tourist guide trainee, Mahbuba Muradi attending the training session 21. SOUNDBITE: (Dari) tourist guide trainee, Mahbuba Muradi: "The security situation is fine right now and we can work as a tourist guide and there is no threat against us from security point of view." 22. Wide of shops selling antique goods and handicrafts 23. Mid of sword and ancient antique on display in the shop 24. Various of Mohammad Hussain, shopkeeper cleaning the necklaces 25. SOUNDBITE (Dari) Mohammad Hussain, shopkeeper: "It is good for us; they (tourists) come to our shop and buy antique goods, which they need. We are very happy that tourists are coming and visiting our province and the reason is the security in the province." 26. Sign board of Roof of Bamiyan Hotel 27. Various of the hotel lobby 28. Close of handicraft on the wall 29 Mid of hotel room 30. Hotel owner, Sayed Sher Hussain closing the door 31. SOUNDBITE: (English) Hotel owner, Sayed Sher Hussain: "Since two years we don't have so many tourists, and now thanks God, this year we have a lot of people coming, and we actually doing to do something else, making more hotels in Bamiyan because there is more security and more nice for the peoples, you know." Band-e-Amir, Bamiyan province 16, June, 2009 33. Close of afghans in boat in Band-i- Amir 34. Wide tilt up from Band-e-Amir to cloudy sky LEADIN Afghanistan used to be a tourist destination some 50 years ago - and now people are returning to discover the beauty of the countryside. Government officials are hoping tourism will boost the country's economy, despite the ongoing violence. STORYLINE Band-e-Amir - Afghanistan as most people never see it. Stunning cascades of water amidst a rocky landscape. It's an attempt to return one small part of Afghanistan to normalcy and re-build its economy. Of course, there are still safety issues. You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/youtube/e090761bae917784d5cd5fdbac8f4210 Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork