KRG Minister of Municipalities and Tourism Sasan Awni discusses on the KRI’s potential for archeological tourism and the investment opportunities in Kurdistan’s tourism sector.
What are the Kurdistan Region of Iraq’s (KRI) key offerings for tourists?
Kurdistan is a historical land with breathtaking natural beauty. The Region is filled with enchanting landscapes, waterfalls, rivers, lakes, and mountains. Tourists from all over the world visit Kurdistan to go cliff-climbing, mountaineering, and hiking. In addition to its beautiful landscape, Kurdistan has witnessed an explosion in archeological research since 2010. There are now thousands of archeological sites in the KRI. Moreover, our welcoming culture, stability and security are also key attributes, attracting tourists. Our aim is to promote all these features at the regional and international levels and to brand Kurdistan as a tourism destination.
Kurdistan is a virgin tourism destination, and as such, all areas of activity are potential drivers. For investors, there are plenty of reasons to enter the sector. Key among those are the undersaturated nature of the destination and the dynamic nature of domestic tourism.
Sasan Awni, KRG Minister of Municipalities and Tourism
How would you define the KRI’s potential for archeological tourism?
Kurdistan has significant untapped potential in terms of archeological tourism, and it could become a leading destination in the region. There are thousands of archeological sites and over eight thousand archeological artifacts have been discovered in the KRI. We have placed a particular importance on archeological tourism, and various projects are underway focusing on the development of ancient sites as tourist destinations. In order to commercialize this potential, we have published archeological booklets and tourism guides in multiple languages to target a broader audience. We also actively use social media to promote the Region. We also work to have Kurdistan’s most prominent areas included in the tour packages offered by travel companies. As mentioned, Kurdistan has witnessed an explosion in archeological research since 2010. International teams have carried out excavation and exploration activities at many of Kurdistan’s archeological sites.
Kurdistan has significant untapped potential in terms of archeological tourism, and it could become a leading destination in the region. There are thousands of archeological sites and over eight thousand archeological artifacts have been discovered in the KRI.
Sasan Awni, KRG Minister of Municipalities and Tourism
Where are the greatest investment opportunities in Kurdistan’s tourism sector?
The KRG has the firm intention to make the tourism sector a driver for economic growth. Thus, investment is the cornerstone of our tourism development agenda.
According to the Kurdistan Board of Investment data, during the first nine months of 2019, tourism topped the other sectors in the Region as a result of investment projects with $1 billion budget being allocated to. There is a wide range of opportunities in the hospitality sector in the KRI thanks to its rapidly growing tourism sector. We have developed a masterplan to develop tourism, covering 67 projects in total. These include amusement parks and aquariums in the main cities of the KRI.
Kurdistan is a virgin tourism destination, and as such, all areas of activity are potential drivers. For investors, there are plenty of reasons to enter the sector. Key among those are the undersaturated nature of the destination and the dynamic nature of domestic tourism.
