Kurdistan Welcomes Spring with Tourism Boom & Massive New Green Park
Visitor numbers surge across Kurdistan Region's natural attractions as Erbil pushes ahead with a 15-billion-dinar urban park set to open within a year
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) - Tourists have begun arriving in the Kurdistan Region in noticeable numbers following a period of stabilization, the Kurdistan Region Tourism Board confirmed on Thursday, with field teams reporting a strong wave of visitors to the region's natural attractions as the spring season gets underway.
Ibrahim Abdulmajid, spokesperson for the Kurdistan Region Tourism Board, told Kurdistan24 exclusively that tourists have resumed visiting the region's tourist sites in considerable numbers.
While final statistics are not yet available, he said feedback from field teams on the ground indicates a significant influx is underway.
Abdulmajid praised the region's security forces and resort operators for the quality of their reception, particularly toward visitors arriving from central and southern Iraq.
"Tourists are being treated in a respectful and lawful manner, and this has been met with their appreciation and satisfaction," he said.
With the spring season drawing larger crowds toward natural landscapes, the tourism board has launched a broad environmental protection campaign running in parallel with the visitor surge.
Abdulmajid said the initiative is being carried out in coordination with the environment authority and civil society organizations, and includes the distribution of guidance materials and rubbish bags at resorts and tourist sites.
"Because we are in the spring season and tourists tend more toward nature, we have launched a comprehensive campaign to protect the environment," he said, adding that all efforts are directed toward ensuring services meet the required standard and that visitors feel comfortable throughout their stay in the Kurdistan Region.
Rashkeen Park: 65 percent complete
On the infrastructure front, Erbil municipality announced Thursday that work on the Rashkeen Park project — a major green space initiative being developed at a cost of 15 billion Iraqi dinars from the prime minister's special budget — has reached 65 percent completion.
Karzan Hadi, mayor of Erbil, told Kurdistan24 that the project is being implemented within the framework of the ninth cabinet of the Kurdistan Regional Government's commitment to increasing green coverage across the region.
The park is being built on an area of approximately 120,000 square meters and is under the direct supervision of the minister of municipalities and tourism.
The project encompasses a landscaped promenade stretching 1,600 meters, a car park, two modern cafeterias, dedicated running and cycling paths, a water well drilled to a depth of 500 meters, two water reservoirs, an advanced lighting and electrical system, and the planting of thousands of trees, tens of thousands of flowers, and expanses of lawn.
A dedicated committee has been appointed by the minister of municipalities to oversee the project's execution.
The first phase alone is being implemented at a cost of 6 billion and 600 million Iraqi dinars, with work continuing toward completion within less than one year.
Hadi reiterated a pledge made by Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani that "the government's hand of reconstruction will reach every location," adding that environmental protection and the expansion of green spaces are among the ninth cabinet's foremost priorities for providing citizens with a healthy living environment.