Kurdistan is one of the safest regions in the middle east, not to be lumped in with the headlines of. Pdf kurdistan region is gradually gaining recognition from the other parts of iraqs a tourist destination. The regional capital is erbil, also known as hawler. Iraq kurdistan travel guide iraq lonely planet forum. As a reader, you probably know by now that i like traveling to less visited places, like north korea and turkmenistan, but many of these places are difficult and expensive to travel solo. Apr 30, 2020 this is the town of aqrah travel to kurdistan. I hope you enjoy your trip and please dont forget to visit amedi in south and amed in the north of kurdistanso called tukish kurdistan as well, if. The kurds also live in northern khorasan and northeastern iran, major administrative centers tehran, sanandaj and others. Turkish kurdistan, 1920 as proposed by the treaty of sevres kurdistan, 1945 conference of san francisco kurdistan, 1945 conference of san francisco kurdistan, 1945 conference of san francisco division of kurdistan after the civil war, 2003. The kurdistan region is an ideal destination for those seeking unspoiled mountain scenery and ancient archeological sites off the beaten track.
The kurdistan region has a burgeoning economy built upon progressive economic policies and growing government transparency. Although challenged by damage to our society and infrastructure from years of war, genocide, forced displacement, and the destruction of more than 4,000 villages at the hand of the previous iraqi. Birthday of mustafa barzani, leader of kurdistans national democratic movement. A vision for the future iii the kurdistan region of iraq has achieved dramatic development in the past decade. I hope you enjoy your trip and please dont forget to visit amedi in south and amed in the north of kurdistan so called tukish kurdistan as well, if. Track elected officials, research health conditions, and find news you can use in politics. Turkish kurdistan tourism with the resolution process progressing in the kurdish region of turkey, tourism is becoming more and more popular. Apr 07, 2014 i hope you can visit southern kurdistan so called iraki kurdistan, especially erbilhewler in kurdish which is thoughts to be the first city in the whole world with his 8000 years old citadels. Pages in category iraqi kurdistan the following 14 pages are in this category, out of 14 total. Please click here for a full list of production and export reports data on stock tank production, exports, supplies to refineries, utilisation of funds and capacity building payments. Tourist motivations, economic impact, tourism development, kurdistan tourists. Jan 29, 2018 a journey into iraqi kurdistan ancient fortresses, crisp mountain streams, curious people and healing cities.
It is the semiautonomous region of kurdistan and is slowly becoming a tourist destination, not only for the people of iraq but also more and more western visitors. The narrative is very easy to read and portrays a vivid picture of what it was like for a british administration official he was a new zealander to have to work in iraq, and be transferred to kurdistan and how he had to cut his way through tribal societies to ensure he got the job done. Kurdistan board of investment why kurdistan region. The kurdistan infrastructure has been damaged by many years of war, genocide and forced displacement at the hand of the previous iraqi regime. Tourism cultural tourism based on the kurdistan regions many historical sites offers great potential for not only generating income but also introducing the region to potential investors. Key dates in the kurdistan regions history 21st march.
We would like to thank to the krgs general board of tourism for its support and photographs. Iranian kurdistan, which includes kurdistan province, kermanshah province, west azerbaijan province and ilam province, has a kurdish population of about 78 million people, or 910% of the total population of iran. Hi forum, i am hoping to visit some of the kurdistan villages in the mountains between and west of sanandaj and kermanshah, but am not really sure how to go about it in terms of transportation and accommodation. When backpacking in iraqi kurdistan, you should try and make it over to the eastern city of sulaymaniyah. Travel and tourism multipurpose magazine kurdistan tour guide. Travelers are discovering the kurdish region of iraq, a place of great beauty, haunted. A highly readable and fascinating insight into the road and the lands across which it was cut. General information unbelievable kurdistan official. Iraqi kurdistan, an autonomous region of iraq, was a hotspot for tourism. As a reader, you probably know by now that i like traveling to less visited places, like north korea and turkmenistan, but many. Unwto, tourism can be defined as the activities of travelers taking a trip to. Erbil also spelled arbil or irbil is a very spreadout city. May 12, 2011 it is the semiautonomous region of kurdistan and is slowly becoming a tourist destination, not only for the people of iraq but also more and more western visitors. The role and importance of the kurds in geopolitics of the.
Quality award for tourism accommodation facilities four and five stars. Tourism in kurdistan, iraq unravel travel tv youtube. The region is officially governed by the kurdistan regional government. Promoting the tourism industry of kurdistan region of iraq halabja province as. Thus the kurdistan regional government krg has been faced with numerous challenges. Pdf promoting the tourism industry of kurdistan region of iraq. Speaking at the erbil international tourism conference in march 2016, the kurdistan regional government krg prime minister, nechirvan barzani, reaffirmed their longterm plans to establish tourism as a central pillar of the iraqi kurdistan economy. National holidays and key dates in the kurdistan regions history. An important grouping in iraqkurdistan is the patriotic union of kurdistan puk, founded in 1975 by jalal talabani. Tourism within the kurdistan region of iraq was until recently almost impossible to imagine.
Kurdistan is a region named after the kurds in the middle east, divided between turkey, syria, iraq, and iran. Addressing a large number of national and international companies in attendance, barzani highlighted significant government investment in the sector since 2007, leading to a marked increase in the number of tourists choosing to visit the. Hatem hatef abdulkadhim altaee1, ako mohammed tofiq. The resolution process, also known as the peace process, refers to the governmentled initiative aimed at ending the threedecadelong conflict between turkeys security forces and the outlawed pkk. For example, the former iraqi regime destroyed over 4000 villages in kurdistan.
During the kurdistan regions long hot summers, visitors and locals can enjoy the cooler weather of kurdistans hillside resorts. Introduction tourism is one of the worlds largest and fastest growing economic industries. Top 15 things to see and do in erbil, kurdistan, iraq. Kurdistan, kurdish nationalism and international society by zeynep n. Demographics of the kurdish people in the iraq posted on december 29, 2014 by mohammadkurdistan due to the absence of a proper population census, the exact population of iraqi kurdistan as well as the rest of iraq is unknown, but the kurdish government has recently started to publish better population figures. People arent used to tourists and will be a bit confused as to why you are there, but nevertheless very hospitable. Kaya a thesis submitted to the department of international relations of the london school of economics for the degree of doctor of philosophy, london, june 2012. A road trip through iranian kurdistan heart my backpack. Iraqi kurdistan or the kurdistan region is an autonomous region of iraq. Kurdistan 7 essentials demographics the kurdistan region is composed of an ethnically diverse populace that includes kurds, arabs, assyrians, chaldeans, turkmen, and armenians. These days, most backpackers that make the decision to visit iraq will end up at some point in the city of erbil. With 45 billion barrels of estimated oil reserves, the kurdistan region is poised to become a key part of iraqs renaissance and a major actor on world oil markets. Sep 16, 20 kurdistan regional government, krg ministry of natural resources.
Regions edit northern kurdistan or turkish kurdistan parts of southeastern anatolia and eastern anatolia in turkey. Tourism instruction unbelievable kurdistan official. The kurdistan region of iraq is an autonomous region within the federal republic of iraq, kurdistan region is distinctive with its prevailing stability and security, and with the tolerance and coexistence of its people including all its different ethnic components who are renowned for their friendliness, love and respect for their guests especially for foreign visitors. The gbt has commissioned international consultants in this endeavor to produce a strategic tourism master plan that will guide the development of the tourism till 2025.
The old building stretches right to the edge of the hill and all the facades facing the city have been done up, but otherwise the citadel is pretty much left in ruins. Quality award for tourism accommodation facilities 1, 2, and 3 stars. This is the most developed and westernised city in iraq and is worth a look. The best time to visit kurdistan is march when people celebrate nawroz, the new year marked by the spring equinox, by having picnics and. The heart of the old part is the citadel that crowns the city from a hill. Kurdistan regional government, krg ministry of natural resources. Pdf managing cultural tourism in postconflict areas. Borders of kurdistan region in 2012 according to kurdistan region statistics office web site and main cities and towns in the region. The tourism industry in the kurdistan region continues to grow, and new opportunities are emerging. In the city of qeladize, in kurdistan, a man named salah rashid told me of his 18yearold brotherinlaw, hemin, whod joined isis in 2014.
Tourism in north and northeastern parts of iraq diva. A journey into iraqi kurdistan ancient fortresses, crisp mountain streams, curious people and healing cities. Us news is a recognized leader in college, grad school, hospital, mutual fund, and car rankings. Investment opportunities span every sector, including oil and gas, electricity, agricultural and the service industries. In 2007 kurdistan had 106 hotels which increased to 405 in 2012 in addition to 214 motels and 50 tourist villages. May 02, 2014 top 15 things to see and do in erbil, kurdistan, iraq. It was considered to be a safe and stable region and least affected by terrorism. You have 10 days in kurdistan before you have to report to the residence office. The kr, however, must establish a tourism destination identity in order to compete for visitors dollars. Direct foreign investment in kurdistan region of middleeast. Currently there are direct international flights from kurdistan to dubai, amman, beirut and frankfort.
It details the premium hotels, restaurants, health clubs, luxury brands, and shopping centers of the region. Kurdistan is well worth visiting and the most surprising thing is how absolutely normal it is. In the kurdish region, erbil is one of the worlds oldest continuously inhabited cities, with an ancient, inhabited citadel and a scenic covered bazaar, while. I hope you can visit southern kurdistan so called iraki kurdistan, especially erbilhewler in kurdish which is thoughts to be the first city in the whole world with his 8000 years old citadels. Authors contributions this work was carried out in collaboration between all authors. These days, most backpackers that make the decision to visit iraq will end up at some point in.
On the eastern edge of iran, kurdistan province makes up part of a broader kurdish region, which also spans adjacent sections of iraq, syria and turkey. Unbelievable kurdistan official tourism site of kurdistan. South kurdistan, erbil, iraq photos of kurdistan, extensive plateau and mountainous region in the middle easr, south of the caucasus. In 2012, kurdistan recorded a 70% rise in tourist arrivals. Uprising against saddam husseins regime, which began in the town of rania. Highlights include the erbil citadel, the diyarbakir walls, and the shanidar cave. Trip planning, top tourist sites, offline viewing, and much more, for free. The vision for the future of kurdistan tourism focuses on transforming it into a prominent global tourism destination by 2025. It is not only a place of scenic beauty, with its snowcapped mountains, rivers, lakes and spectacular waterfalls but is also of great historical interest with its many ancient. We spent 10 days travelling around iraqi kurdistan with our excellent guide baline. The number of tourists during the eid increased by 129 percent compared to last year, kurdistan region board of tourism revealed. The kurdistan region serves as a direct haven and a tourist attraction for many iraqis who want to escape the perilous state that the rest of the country currently remains in. The three provinces that officially form the autonomous region of iraqi kurdistan are designated as a location of refuge and safety. Laytons company kurdistan iraq tours wants you to know.
Kurdistan s target audience is prominent business community visiting kurdistan. Nawroz, kurdish new year celebrated on the spring equinox. It borders iran to the east, turkey to the north, syria to the west and the rest of iraq to the south. Talabani split from the kdp in 1964, blaming barzani for leading the fight for kurdish independence with tribal methods and for maintaining the alliance with imperialism. Nonoil sector analysis angus okechukwu unegbu1 and augustine okanlawon1 1department of business and management sciences, university of kurdistan hewler, iraq. The kurdish project has collected descriptions of the various historical sites in kurdistan for our readers like you. The case of kurdistan iraq conference paper pdf available september 2016 with 1,095 reads how we measure reads. Iraqi kurdistan has two international airports, erbil and sulaimany. I was just nearly 3 weeks travelling in kuristan an i used the app from kurdistan tourism. In 2015, for the first time, the number of international tourists reached 1,184 million, a rise of 4. The population of the kurdistan region is skewed young, with 36% aged 014 years and only 4% aged over 63.
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