Tourism Received $7.68 Billion of Kurdistan Region's $22 Billion Investment Portfolio
Official figures show tourism accounted for $7.68 billion of more than $22 billion invested across the Kurdistan Region over the past seven years, underscoring the sector's central role in economic development.
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) - The Kurdistan Region Investment Board has announced that the tourism sector attracted $7.68 billion in investment during the past seven years, accounting for a significant share of the more than $22 billion invested across the Kurdistan Region during the Ninth Cabinet's tenure.
In a statement released on Tuesday, under the title "The Numbers Speak for Themselves," the Investment Board highlighted the tourism sector's growing importance as a key driver of investment and economic growth in the Kurdistan Region.
According to the board's official figures, nearly $7.68 billion of the more than $22 billion invested through approved projects over the past seven years was directed toward tourism, reflecting the sector's expanding infrastructure and strategic significance within the Region's economy.
The Investment Board emphasized that tourism is no longer viewed as a secondary economic activity but has become a cornerstone of economic revitalization and an important avenue for attracting both domestic and foreign investment.
The board said the sector continues to provide opportunities for investors while contributing to the strengthening of the labor market and the broader economy of the Kurdistan Region.
The newly released figures build on remarks made by Sasan Awni, the Kurdistan Region's Minister of Municipalities and Tourism, during the third anniversary ceremony of the Kurdistan Region Investment Board on June 21, 2026.
At the event, Awni said that more than 80 strategic tourism projects had been completed during the Ninth Cabinet.
He also stated that the Kurdistan Region is now home to more than 3,000 tourism facilities and destinations, adding that the sector has created more than 20,000 jobs, with 80 percent of the workforce consisting of local employees.
The latest investment figures reinforce the Kurdistan Region's continued focus on tourism as a strategic sector supporting long-term economic development and employment.