ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Around 60 restaurants and companies have gathered at Erbil International Fair for Christmas Festival, promoting their products and spreading the magic of the season with festive activities.
Many of the companies and restaurants that have participated in the festival view the exhibition as a way to further advertise their products.
“We attended this festival so it can be easier for the customers to get our dairy products since all the products are available here,” Nawshad Mawlood, manager of a dairy factory, told Rudaw’s Farhad Dolamari on Tuesday.
Owners and employees of the businesses attending the event believe the festival will provide a good opportunity for them to exchange information and culture.
“Most of the restaurants are exchanging ideas with one another. When people come to these events, it gives the businesses an opportunity to promote their products and food. It is a cultural exchange: You learn something from me, I learn something from you,” Mohammed Husni, a restaurant owner, said on Tuesday.
The festival is organized by the Erbil International Fair and Gravity Communication Agency.
“In addition to its own exhibitions, Erbil International Fair is constantly considering holding festivals, such as the Ramadan Festival we held and the Christmas Festival now. We will have better and more captivating plans in the future,” Ameer Babkayi, financial director of the Erbil International Fair, told Rudaw.
The festival will continue up until New Year’s Day, with various artistic and cultural activities set to be held at nighttime to attract more tourists to the Kurdish capital.
Gravity Communication Agency specializes in event management and special executions, founded in 2012 in Erbil. Today, Gravity is present in Baghdad, Istanbul, and Beirut.
The bulk of holidaymakers visiting the Kurdistan Region for tourism comes from the southern and central provinces of Iraq, with the remaining tourists coming from countries outside of Iraq.
Based on data from the tourism board, the past year witnessed over six million tourists.
More than 60,000 tourists from southern and central Iraqi provinces joined thousands in Erbil to celebrate the arrival of the 2023 New Year.
