A group of female travel influencers has ignited a fierce backlash after posting glamorous content depicting Afghanistan under Taliban rule as an exotic holiday destination. Critics accuse them of whitewashing the regime's brutal oppression of women.
Instagram vs Reality
The influencers, who boast hundreds of thousands of followers, shared carefully curated images of themselves visiting landmarks like the Blue Mosque in Mazar-i-Sharif and hiking in the Pamir Mountains. Their captions described Afghanistan as "stunning" and "misunderstood", with no mention of the Taliban's severe restrictions on women's education, employment and freedom of movement.
Public Outrage Grows
The posts triggered widespread condemnation:
- Human rights activists called the content "dangerously naive"
- Afghan women living under Taliban rule described feeling "betrayed"
- Travel industry professionals questioned the ethics of promoting tourism to the country
A Warped Perspective?
Defending their posts, some influencers argued they were "showing the real Afghanistan beyond the headlines". However, critics counter that presenting a sanitised version of life under the Taliban - complete with luxury hotel stays and carefree sightseeing - fundamentally misrepresents reality for Afghan women.
The controversy raises difficult questions about social media responsibility and the ethics of influencer tourism in politically volatile regions.
