Erbil is Middle East Capital of Tourism

To win the prize Iraqi Kurdish authorities had to present a planned schedule of events – there are around 40 different events planned and these include everything from exhibitions to cultural events to ice skating and beauty contests.

According to figures from the region's tourism authority, more than 2 million tourists came to Iraqi Kurdistan last year. Most of them were Iraqis drawn here because the region is a veritable island of stability and peace in a country that has recently seen a resurgence in levels of violence. Iraqis are also more likely to head to the northern region now because of ongoing instability in Syria and Egypt. Another draw for Iraqi Kurdistan is medical tourism – there are many private hospitals and health centres here.

The Hoteliers Association in Iraqi Kurdistan reports that Erbil currently boasts around 570 types of accomodation of all kinds – from five star to motels – and they expect that number to rise to 600 by the end of 2013.

According to figures released, investment in Iraqi Kurdistan totalled around US$29 billion with around US$16 billion invested in Erbil alone. Most of these investments are coming from Turkey followed by Lebanon.

The presence of Lebanese business and investment is seen as a good sign; in the Arab world the Lebanese are known for their business savvy. Besides ordinary Lebanese working around the city, a sign of their increasing presence were a series of concerts held featuring Lebanese singers recently. It feels as though the Lebanese are now competing with the Turkish to be Iraqi Kurdistan's most important business partners.

“When one goes onto Erbil's streets now, one sees people of so many different nationalities,” says Shammal Mohammed, one of the founders of the local hotelier's association. “Europeans, Africans, Asians and Gulf Arabs as well as our Iraqi brothers,” he proclaims proudly.