(MENAFN- Pajhwok Afghan News) FAIZABAD (Pajhwok): At least 14,000 domestic and foreign tourists visited verdant landscapes of northeastern Badakhshan province last year, say government officials. The number of tourists is on the increase

Information and Culture Director Naqibullah Saqib told Pajhwok Afghan News around 136 foreign tourists from the US, Italy and Germany visited different areas of Badakhshan in the solar year 1396.

Dr. Shams Ali Shams, director of the Aga Khan Foundation in Badakhshan, said under an agreement with the Ministry of Information, tourist spots in Wakhan, which were neglected during the war, had been rehabilitated.

The Wakhan areas had been rehabilitated to promote tourism in the province, he said, adding guesthouses and modern bathrooms had been established in different parts of the district.

He added: €œThe Aga Khan Foundation has successfully projected the historical importance of Pamir to the world. Jointly with the Ministry of Culture, we are making efforts to promote tourism in the province.€

Siddiqui Lalzad, director of information and culture, told Pajhwok the people of Wakhan and Ishkashim districts had earned about $200,000 last year, a crucial step toward the growth of the region€™s economy.

Faiz Mohammad, a resident of Wakhan, said the number of tourists to Pamir had increased. €œThe services we have provided to them have led to a remarkable income.€

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