Kurdistan Region invested $4.5 billion in tourism sector in past four years: Board of Tourism spox

ERBIL (Kurdistan24) – Ibrahim Abdulmajid, spokesperson for the Kurdistan Region General Board of Tourism, on Wednesday, told Kurdistan24 that “The tourism sector in Kurdistan Region has invested $4.5 billion in infrastructure in the past four years, which means that tourism investment has outpaced all other sectors by 42 percent.”

“Looking at the data and statistics, we can see that Kurdistan has made good progress in terms of infrastructure,” the spokesperson noted.

“There have been significant improvements in the quality and quantity of tourism. More than seven million tourists visited the Kurdistan Region last year. More than 470 hotels are now available throughout the region. Previously, we did not have enough hotels, but now we have 40 five-star hotels,” Abdulmajid then added.

Despite hurdles such as the war on ISIS and the COVID-19 pandemic, the Kurdistan Region’s tourism industry has continued to expand, with six million tourists visiting in 2022. In 2023, there were seven million tourists recorded, equaling a 16% increase from the previous year.

The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), as part of its Ninth Cabinet's agenda, has emphasized the importance of tourism as an alternative to diversifying its reliance on hydrocarbon revenues. The plan includes an 8-year-long strategy to attract 20 million tourists annually.

In August 2023, the Delal Corniche was inaugurated in Zakho. The area surrounding the city's ancient bridge, known as Pira Delal, was renovated after suffering from years of neglect.

In turn, the renovated Delal area intends to boost the city's tourism, entertainment, and business sectors, in addition to providing a refined communal area for residents.