Kurdistan Region tourism projects top $7 billion over five years

ERBIL — The Kurdistan Regional Government’s Tourism Board said Tuesday that 80 tourism projects have been carried out across the region since 2019, with total investments exceeding $7.5 billion.

At a press conference, Tourism Board head Amal Jalal said the projects have created more than 20,000 jobs, with 80% of those positions going to youth and residents of the Kurdistan Region. “Over the past five years, 80 diverse tourism projects worth $7,555,305,000 have been implemented,” she said.

Jalal added that most foreign visitors to the region come from Gulf countries and that new policies are being adopted to diversify tourism offerings. “Our goal is to increase the number of tourists to nearly 20 million by 2030 and make Kurdistan a major tourism destination,” she said.

The Kurdistan Region is known for its mix of natural and cultural attractions, including archaeological sites, mountains, rivers, and caves. Jalal said the board has instructed its directorates to prepare at least five new investment proposals each, based on local characteristics, to be implemented in the coming years.