We love doing travel PR and I love a good travel PR campaign, but the folks over at Tourism Afghanistan must be doing a red hot job if they can get Afghanistan into Gourmet Traveller, even if it is listed as a unique and unforgettable experience – unforgettable because you may not come back alive. I am sure it must have been written tongue in cheek?
I quote “and while Kabul is periodically plagued by violence, much the same could be said for many European cities.” No I am sorry, but I don’t know many European cities that have daily ‘issues’ with a certain group called the Taliban, or that thousands of US forces have been occupying permanently since 2003 and I don’t know of many European cities that are known for harbouring the world’s most dangerous terrorist.
What an amazing job Tourism Afghanistan is doing to even be mentioned in Gourmet Traveller, unique or not, I don’t imagine Michelin star restaurants are high on their priority list – I’ve read a Thousand Splendid Suns and they didn’t have enough food to feed their families each day.
In saying that, despite my travels around the world I haven’t been to Afghanistan, so of course I can’t comment first hand, but in the spirit of ‘Don’t Be a Fool’ month, I have to say, good PR spin or not, I am not putting Afghanistan on my list of places I wish to enjoy a weekend…or a meal.
Cheers to the armed forces who are fighting for much more than a good meal over there and good on the spin doctor who got that yarn across the line – the power of PR hey!
