By John Lee. Iraq sees an average of about two million tourists a year, but a senior adviser to the Iraqi tourism ministry has told AFP that that number could be tripled to six million. The country hosts millions of Shiite Muslims on pilgrimages to its various holy sites, from Samarra in the north, about 125 […]
From AFP. Any opinions expressed are those of the authors, and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News. Iraq is no stranger to tourism, with countless pilgrims visiting its religious shrines, but now the country that touts itself as the "cradle of civilisation" is seeing a growing number of tourists eager to […]
By John Lee. The Iraqi Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities has announced that more than 130,000 tourists entered Iraq in May. According to Aswat al Iraq, the tourists mainly visited the holy shrines in Karbala, Najaf (pictured), Baghdad and Samarra. Approximately 12,000 tourists came from "Arab and foreign countries", while the rest came from Iran […]
By John Lee. According to property consultancy Colliers, there is a "clear market opportunity" to develop branded hotel projects in Erbil. Construction Weekly Online reports occupancy rates are increasing, and the construction of a new airport in the city has had a positive effect on the numbers of both business and leisure tourists. The total […]
Dubai-based Emaar Properties and Kurdish firm Farouq Holdings [Farouk] are reported to be in talks with the Kurdistan Regional Government about developing a new $3bn resort in Sulaimaniya governate. Zawya reports that the KRG has approved the Dukan tourist city project, and that work could start within six months. The director-general of the Kurdistan Investment […]
By John Lee. The Kurdistan Region's Tourism Board has announced plans to develop 53 tourist sites in the region, including the Bekhal Resort. Designs for some of the sites have already been completed, according to a report from AKnews. Mawlawi Jabar, Head of the board, said that companies from Lebanon and Austria are undertaking the […]
By John Lee. Tourism in the Kurdistan Region is up 75 percent in the last six months in comparison to last year. A spokesperson for the region's Investment Board expects 2.5m tourists to visit in 2012, up from 1.7 million in 2011. According to the report from AKnews, Kurdistan has 370 hotels, 180 motels, 970 […]
Normally thousands of Iranian tourists arrive in Karbala daily. But as Western sanctions on Iran hit, pilgrims are staying at home. And the ones that do come are not shopping. Karbala’s merchants say they’re facing financial ruin, according to this article from NIQASH. Any opinions expressed are those of the author, and do not necessarily […]
AKnews reports that over 16 million pilgrims flocked to Karbala to mark Arbain, the 40th day after Ashura, which is the day Shiite's believe Imam Hussein Ibn Ali was martyred in the 7th century. The deputy leader of the Karbala Provincial Council Nassif, Jassem al-Khutabi, told AKnews that over half a million come from abroad, […]
More than 40,000 tourists entered Iraqi Kurdistan Region for the New Year celebrations, roughly four times as many as the previous record, AKnews reports. The press secretary for the Kurdistan General Tourism Board, Nadr Rosti, told the news agency that in 2011 more than 10,000 tourists visited Kurdistan during the New Year. But in the […]
Karbala relies heavily on Iranian pilgrims to important religious sites in the area. But hotel owners are crying foul: they say Iranians are openly monopolizing tourism in Karbala and covertly buying up local properties, according to this article from Niqash. Any opinions expressed are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect the views […]
The Minister of Tourism, Liwaa Sumaisem, has announced plans to develop Iraq’s tourism sector – currently dominated by religious tourism - to include archeological and eco-tourism. He told AKnews that a law will soon be passed empowering the ministry to develop the nature reserves and visitor centers at the country’s archeological sites. The holy cities […]
