SORAN, Kurdistan Region — The tourism sector in the Kurdistan Region is recovering this summer after the industry took a hit last year due to coronavirus lockdowns.
Seeking to escape the brutal summer heat in central and southern Iraq, many tourists are vacationing in the cooler Kurdistan Region.
“This is why we came here - to enjoy,” said Sewa Hussein, a vacationer at Gali Ali Beg resort in Erbil's Soran district.
Tourists were restricted from visiting the Kurdistan Region for large parts of last year due to lockdowns to prevent the spread of the virus. This year, however, those in Kurdistan’s hospitality industry are celebrating their comeback.
"During Eid, tourism groups get an unusual amount of people. That is okay because it is Eid and a holiday for ten days," said tour guide Ali Fauzi.
“From Basra to Baghdad and Karbala, they all come to Kurdistan,” he said, noting the large number of people expected for Eid al-Adha this week.
Many hope that the tourism industry will create more jobs in the region.
“Taxi drivers, bakers, market owners and butchers are all working these days,” said Matin Ibrahim, a resort owner. “As the tourism sector is revived, more jobs will be created. People won’t remain jobless and won’t migrate overseas.”
According to tourism officials, the region saw the highest number of tourists in 2019. Tourist officials say they expect this year's number to beat that of two years prior.
Nearly two million tourists from federal Iraq visited the Kurdistan Region in the first half of 2021, according to the Region’s tourism board.
An additional 300,000 people are expected to visit during the Eid holidays.
Translation and video editing by Sarkawt Mohammed
