Iraqi Kurdistan tries to Lure Tourists

The catastrophic decline in tourist numbers must therefore be seen from this perspective. Sarook Sarky, a student researcher at the University of Southampton, told Al-Monitor, “International tourism visitor numbers have dropped by at least 50% [since summer 2014], according to the head of the media department at the General Board of Tourism.”

Other unofficial estimates, such as that of Douglas Layton, co-founder of The Other Iraq Tours, are much lower. “The [IS] effect has been severe on tourism,” Layton admitted to Al-Monitor. “Tourism did not drop by 50% — it basically dropped to zero” in regard to international visitors.

Paul Craven of UK-based Steppes Travel agrees that the affect of IS activity has been significant. He told Al-Monitor, “IS activity generally and in the Kurdish region has led to enquiries drying up.” Security is of such importance to international travelers that the events of the past two years have even affected tourism in other counties, which seem guilty by association.

Craven said, “People are now linking countries like Oman and Uzbekistan to areas they do not wish to travel to, associating them with ‘Islamic states’ and therefore uncertainty of security.”

An air of positivity following the retaking of Sinjar in November and upcoming plans to retake Mosul might suggest that things are looking up for 2016. But with thousands of refugees and internally displaced persons already stretching Kurdistan’s resources, Sarky acknowledged to Al-Monitor that tourism has necessarily become “a lower priority.”

Bayan Sami Abdelrahman, the KRG's high representative to the United States, is also realistic about the tourism nosedive being an outcome of a turbulent year. “It isn't surprising that tourism has slowed down,” she conveyed to Al-Monitor through a statement issued by her office, particularly with the KRG’s “responsibility of caring for nearly 2 million displaced people and refugees.”