Kurdistan
Iraqi PM Mohammed Shia' al-Sudani (left) and KDP Leader Masoud Barzani (right) in a resort in Erbil province on July 13, 2023. Photo: submitted
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani on Thursday visited several resorts in the Kurdistan Region’s Erbil province on an unannounced trip.
Sudani, accompanied by Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) Leader Masoud Barzani, visited a number of resorts in Soran administration. The director of one of the resorts told Rudaw that both leaders talked about expanding the tourism sector in the country.
“He [Sudani] said that more attention should be paid to the tourism sector in a way that tourists from Basra and other southern provinces can come to the Kurdistan Region and vice versa,” said Barzan Mohammed, the head of PANK resort, who was present when Sudani and Barzani visited his resort.
Iraqi state media cited the government spokesperson Bassim al-Awadi as saying the trip came following “a special invitation” by Barzani.
With its relatively more moderate temperature in comparison to the rest of the country, and the tremendous nature it has, the Kurdistan Region’s tourism has been a booming sector in recent years.
Hundreds of thousands of tourists from Iraqi southern and central provinces visited the Region only during the Eid al-Adha feast late last month.
The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) plans to attract 20 million tourists per year by 2030, Amal Jalal, the head of the board, told Rudaw last month.
Iraq and the Kurdistan Region are heavily reliant on oil revenues
Sudani, accompanied by Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) Leader Masoud Barzani, visited a number of resorts in Soran administration. The director of one of the resorts told Rudaw that both leaders talked about expanding the tourism sector in the country.
“He [Sudani] said that more attention should be paid to the tourism sector in a way that tourists from Basra and other southern provinces can come to the Kurdistan Region and vice versa,” said Barzan Mohammed, the head of PANK resort, who was present when Sudani and Barzani visited his resort.
Iraqi state media cited the government spokesperson Bassim al-Awadi as saying the trip came following “a special invitation” by Barzani.
With its relatively more moderate temperature in comparison to the rest of the country, and the tremendous nature it has, the Kurdistan Region’s tourism has been a booming sector in recent years.
Hundreds of thousands of tourists from Iraqi southern and central provinces visited the Region only during the Eid al-Adha feast late last month.
The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) plans to attract 20 million tourists per year by 2030, Amal Jalal, the head of the board, told Rudaw last month.
Iraq and the Kurdistan Region are heavily reliant on oil revenues
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