Iraq unveils tourism strategy targeting 10 million visitors by 2035

BAGHDAD — Iraq’s Tourism Authority announced Tuesday it has prepared a national strategy to develop the tourism sector through 2035, aiming to attract 10 million visitors, while noting that Britain and several European countries have eased Iraq’s security classification for travel.

Ali Yassin, director of international relations and spokesperson for the Tourism Authority at the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Antiquities, told the Iraqi News Agency that “the sector faces obstacles, including security warnings issued by some European countries, China and the United States against visiting Iraq,” calling on foreign governments to “reconsider the security warnings.”

He said that “Britain has eased Iraq’s classification, and several European countries, including Switzerland and Spain, have taken this file into consideration,” adding that “the authority organized events for foreign ambassadors, including an evening at the Saray Gardens and cultural and artistic performances with the participation of the Iraqi Fashion Department and the Sumeriyat troupe, to convey a message that Iraq is a country of civilization and peace.”

Yassin said that “tourism is an industry that depends on security, stability, infrastructure and communication with the outside world,” stressing that “attention to the tourism sector should take up a larger space, as it represents an important economic, cultural and social pillar.”

He added that “during 2025, the authority held various tourism conferences, including the Tourism Statistics Conference, which saw the participation of international experts and achieved positive results for specialists,” noting that “a proposed vision was prepared for a national strategy to develop a prosperous and competitive Iraqi tourism sector extending until 2035 for a period of 10 years, with the ambition of receiving 10 million tourists to archaeological sites.”

Yassin said that “the strategy includes rehabilitating tourist attraction sites, building human resource capacities, focusing on natural, heritage and archaeological tourism, and increasing tourism’s contribution to the national product,” adding that “future plans include holding a tourism media conference, training human cadres, using artificial intelligence to develop the sector, as well as organizing the Babylon International Festival, which is among the tasks of the Tourism Authority at the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Antiquities.”

He confirmed “the authority’s readiness to support any activity or festival that serves the supreme interest of the country and enhances Iraq’s presence on the Arab and global tourism map.”

On Dec. 9, 2025, Baghdad hosted the 28th session of the Arab Ministerial Council for Tourism, where Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani said the gathering was “an important step toward reaffirming Iraq’s position on the global tourism map and showcasing its cultural, civilizational, and religious assets.” He called for involving young people in tourism planning, urged renewed coordination through reviving the Joint Arab Tourism Initiative to increase regional visitor flows, and said “tourism is an important instrument of soft power” that can strengthen economic ties across Arab states.

The Arab Tourism Organization has designated Baghdad as the Arab Tourism Capital for 2025.