KABUL, Sept. 17 (Xinhua) -- About 9,000 foreign tourists visited Afghanistan over the past 12 months, data from the country's Ministry of Information and Culture showed on Tuesday.
"Approximately, 9,000 foreign tourists and 9 million domestic tourists have visited recreational and historical sites of Afghanistan during the cited period," said Mawlawi Qudratullah Jamal, acting deputy minister for the ministry at a government program.
The ministry has also prevented the smuggling of 416 pieces of historical artifacts in Kabul airport and border customs of the country during the same period, said Mawlawi Atiqullah Azizi, another acting deputy minister for the ministry.
The Afghan caretaker government has strengthened measures, including building hotels and providing convenience at the historical sites, to attract more foreign tourists to the country. ■
