Over six million tourists visited Kurdistan Region in 2022: Official

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – More than six million tourists, mainly from the central and southern Iraqi provinces, are estimated to have visited Kurdistan Region last year, the region’s tourism authority said on Saturday.

The majority of tourists have visited the capital Erbil, Sirwan Tofiq, the head of tourism marketing in the Region, told the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG)’s official media.

In the first half of 2022, nearly four million tourists visited the Region’s provinces, according to the media.

According to unofficial figures, over 90 percent of those that visit the Kurdistan Region during holiday seasons come from the southern and central Iraqi provinces, where decades of war and conflicts have dilapidated the tourism sector.  

Nearly 60,000 Iraqi tourists have visited the capital for the New Year celebrations, Erbil Governor Omed Khoshnaw said in a presser on Sunday.

Thousands on Saturday night in Erbil and other Kurdish provinces celebrated New Year on the streets with fireworks, singing and performing dances.

In addition to holiday periods, the scorching summer heat forces thousands of domestic tourists across Iraq to visit the resort areas in the northern Kurdish region, known for its mountainous areas and relatively cool temperatures.

The capital is home to some of the ancient sites of the country, including the Erbil citadel, which is listed as one of the world heritage sites by the United Nations' cultural and educational agency, UNESCO.

Tourism officials have proposed plans to further boost the sector, through which the Kurdish region seeks to slash reliance on hydrocarbon sales. Per an eight-year-long scheme, the Region aims to attract 20 million tourists annually.

This story was updated at 3:17 PM (Erbil time) to include figures from the Erbil governor on the number of visitors to the capital during New Year celebrations.