More than 1.5 million tourists visited Kurdistan Region this year

ERBIL (Kurdistan24) – Ibrahim Abdulmajid, spokesperson for the Kurdistan Region General Board of Tourism, on Tuesday told Kurdistan24 that in the last three months alone, more than 1.5 million tourists have visited the Kurdistan Region.

Earlier, Amal Jalal, the head of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) Tourism Board, told Kurdistan24 that the board had drawn up an eight-year long-term plan and a medium-term plan, which aims to welcome 20 million tourists a year.

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 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.