Iraqi tourists spent Eid in Kurdistan for its environment, security

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region (Kurdistan24) – Iraqi tourists visited the Kurdistan Region to spend Eid al-Fitr due to the safety and beautiful nature there.

Sunday was the first day of Eid al-Fitr following the holy month of Ramadan where Muslims fast from dawn until sunset.

Officials from the Kurdistan Region’s tourism sector revealed thousands of tourists had visited different cities in the Region on the first and second days of Eid, most of whom came from other parts of Iraq.

Over 15,000 tourists entered Erbil from the Kirkuk Province, and 20,000 came to Sulaimani, according to the officials.

“It is the third time I come to the Kurdistan Region,” Ahmed Salim, an Iraqi tourist at the Gali Ali Begg resort told Kurdistan24.

“Kurdistan’s nature is stunning, but the most important thing is the security here, unlike in Baghdad,” he added.

In the past months, there have been some deadly attacks and explosions in Baghdad by the Islamic State (IS), killing and injuring dozens of people.

“We often come to the Kurdistan Region for a vacation to spend quality time,” Salma Amin, another tourist told Kurdistan24 in Erbil. “Peshmerga and security facilitate visitors a lot.”

“It is very unfortunate that 14 years have passed since the removal of a dictatorship in Iraq, but we still don’t have security in Baghdad,” Amin stated.

The number of tourists in the coming days is expected to increase, according to tourist companies who signed contracts with hotels in Kurdistan.

In the past few years, the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) has paid particular attention to tourism by investing in the sector aiming to make it a source of revenue for the Region.

Editing by Karzan Sulaivany