Over 76,000 tourists visit Kurdistan Region to celebrate Newroz

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region (Kurdistan 24) – A representative of the Kurdistan Region’s Board of Tourism on Thursday revealed that approximately 76,000 tourists had entered the Region to celebrate Newroz, Kurdish New Year.

“Since March 20, over 76,000 tourists have visited the Kurdistan Region to celebrate the first day of Newroz,” Mewlawi Jabar, a member of the Board of Tourism, told Kurdistan 24.

Jabar said the tourism board was excited about the number of people visiting the Region, adding that their goal is “to attract over 2.5 million tourists from all over the region to the Kurdistan Region.”

The Board of Tourism representative noted the tourists had traveled from southern parts of Iraq as well as neighboring countries like Iran and Turkey.

According to an updated statement by the Iraqi Border Assistant’s Assessment Authority, about 140,000 Arab and foreign citizens visited the Kurdistan Region “to celebrate the Kurdish New Year and visit religious places.”

Kurdistan is a common destination for Iraqis and other people from neighboring countries.

The Kurdistan Region’s abundance of beautiful nature and water resources have pushed many local and foreign tourists to visit, especially in the middle of summer as temperatures often reach 50 Celsius mid-day.

The Region is also a key destination for international festivals including the annual skiing festival in Kurdistan’s Choman mountains.

The town, located north of Erbil, has many facilities such as resorts, parks, rivers, vast meadows, and waterfalls intended for tourists, particularly in the spring and summer. 

As the Kurdistan Region’s economy is recovering, its tourism sector is also booming. The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) says it plans to diversify its economy by improving the private, agricultural, and tourism sectors.