"From the start of this year up until June 30, over 4.5 million tourists have visited the Kurdistan Region, with the majority coming from various provinces within Iraq," Ibrahim Abdulmajid, the media head of the KRG’s tourism board, told Rudaw on Sunday.
Abdulmajid added that 2023 has seen an unprecedented surge in tourist visits to the Kurdistan Region.
"During the first six months of the previous year, the Kurdistan Region welcomed approximately 3.1 million tourists. However, within the same timeframe this year, the figure has surged significantly to 4.5 million," he noted.
The bulk of holidaymakers visiting the Kurdistan Region for tourism come from the southern and central provinces of Iraq, with the remaining tourists coming from countries outside of Iraq.
"We have consistently endeavored to address past obstacles that impeded tourist arrivals. We've encouraged foreign tourists to explore the Region and not equate the Kurdistan Region with the broader perception of Iraq," he stated.
The Kurdish official highlighted that the improvement in Iraq's political and security situation has encouraged people to spend their holidays in the Kurdistan Region. Checkpoints in the Kurdistan Region have been streamlined to facilitate tourism, and since February, electronic visas have been introduced for foreign tourists, he detailed.
Tourists usually voice concerns about the elevated prices of tourist attractions.
“During tourist seasons, prices typically differ from regular periods, he added.
Based on data from the KRG tourism board, the past year witnessed over six million tourists.
With its relatively moderate temperature in comparison to the rest of the country and its tremendous nature it has, the Kurdistan Region’s tourism has been a booming sector in recent years.
The KRG plans to attract 20 million tourists per year by 2030.
