Iraq Business News brings you the latest news on developments and opportunities in leisure and tourism industries in Iraq.
Travel experts and companies from around the world attended the Kurdistan International Tourism Conference in Erbil last week, paving the way for Erbil's position as Middle East Tourism Capital of 2014. The Head of the General Board of Tourism, Mawlawi Wahab made the opening remarks and welcomed the delegates who included officials from the federal […]
By John Lee. Hotel management company Rotana has opened its second property in Iraq. The Karbala Rayhaan is a five-star property in the tourist city of Karbala, which attracts more than 12 million visitors a year. Omer Kaddouri, executive vice president and chief operating officer, said: “In 2012 Iraq posted a GDP growth rate of […]
Ask anyone where the most expensive property is in Iraq and you might expect to hear Baghdad, the capital, or Basra, the hub of the southern oil industry. But according to this report, the highest prices are being paid for development land in Karbala, site of the shrine of Imam al-Hussein, the grandson of the […]
By John Lee. Hyatt Hotels Corporation has announced that a Hyatt affiliate has entered into a management agreement with Claremont Group LLC, a New York-based real estate development company, for a Hyatt Regency hotel in the Kurdistan region of Iraq. Expected to open in 2017, Hyatt Regency Sulaymaniyah will be the first Hyatt-branded hotel in […]
Abu Dhabi-based Rotana, a leading hotel management company, announced the general manager and other senior appointments for its new property in Iraq, the five-star Karbala Rayhaan by Rotana. General manager Nader Mobader, a seasoned hospitality player with 18 years of industry experience in Asia, Africa and the Middle East, has been leading the team through […]
By Ali Abdulameer for Al-Monitor. Any opinions expressed are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News. One of the strange indicators in Iraqi culture today is the graduation of dozens of cinema and cinematic art enthusiasts from the film departments in academies and technical institutes every year. Yet, […]
By John Lee. An estimated 112.000 tourists visited the Kurdistan region during Eid festivities, according to a report from Aswat Al Iraq. The region's Investment Commission said the figures were 10 percent less than the previous year. The drpo has been attributed to the recent explosions, the closure of markets and shops, and the higher […]
During opening remarks, organizers of the 5th Baghdad International Film Festival publicly praised the U.S. Embassy for its role in funding the opening and closing ceremonies, festival publications, a photography exhibit, and a two-day photography and cinematography workshop at a local orphanage. Although U.S. officials were unable to attend, the Deputy Minister of Culture joined […]
From Al Jazeera. Any opinions expressed are those of the authors, and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News. Iraq is home to some of the most sacred sites for Shia Muslims. Pilgrims from across the Middle East visit in huge numbers. The Governor of Karbala urges western Shias to make the […]
By Muhammad Jawad Adib for Al-Monitor. Any opinions expressed are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News. Tourism is the biggest economic resource for Iraq after oil, but the industry's focus on religion in general and on Iranian pilgrims in particular has made the Iraqi tourism sector dependent […]
By Ibrahim al-Jibouri. This article was originally published by Niqash. Any opinions expressed are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News. Karbala’s famous old city is home to two of Islam’s most important shrines and attracts millions of tourists. It is also surrounded by high walls and […]
Erbil Oscar Premium Hotel is a well-known, 5-star property located in the heart of Erbil, Iraq, the city which is touted to be the 2014 tourism capital of Iraq. The hotel required a cost-effective pricing software that could manage the entire hotel’s departments, i.e. restaurants, gym and swimming pool, minibars, etc., in an extremely easy […]
