International conference paves way for Erbil as tourism capital
The Head of the General Board of Tourism, Mawlawi Wahab made the opening remarks and welcomed the delegates who included officials from the federal Iraqi government as well as members of the international community.
Speaking on behalf of the Iraqi government, the federal Minister for Tourism and Archaeology, Liwaa Smaisim, said, ‘I would like to convey the wishes of the Iraqi government to the region on your success in getting Erbil selected as the 2014 Capital of Arab Tourism.’ He went on to praise the rapid progress Erbil is undergoing particularly in the tourism sector with the number of visitors steadily increasing year after year.
The Governor of Erbil, Nawzad Hadi, thanked Minister Smaisim and his ministry for their assistance in securing the award. He said, ‘The Kurdistan Regional Government has allocated $20 million for this project and the people of Erbil are very proud to have their city selected as the capital of tourism. We are sure that this will provide an opportunity for Kurdistan as well as a Iraq as a whole to be looked at a in a more positive light by the international community.’
The Minister of Municipalities and Tourism Dilshad Shahab, who spoke on behalf of Prime Minister Nechirvan Barzani, conveyed the Prime Minister’s gratitude to the ministries, institutions and departments that played a role in Erbil securing the award. He briefed the guests about the importance that the KRG places on the tourism sector mentioning that it has been earmarked as a priority sector in the development of the economy.
Minister Shahab said, ‘After decades of enforced isolation, it is important for us to host foreign guests and share our culture with the outside world. It also allows our citizens to learn more about other societies. Now that the Region is replete with hotels, shopping malls, restaurants, and entertainment venues, the number of annual visitors has skyrocketed.’
Dr Bandar Bin Fahd Al Fahid, who heads the Arab Tourism Organisation, congratulated the Kurdistan Regional Government for ensuring that Erbil met all the criteria required to be selected as Arab Tourism Capital of 2014. He added, ‘I assure you that we will work closely together to ensure the success of Erbil next year.’
Commenting on this conference and the award to Erbil, the Head of the Department of Foreign Relations, Minister Falah Mustafa said, ‘We believe that this is an important achievement particularly as tourism helps to increase interaction among people of different cultures and backgrounds through the discovery of each other's culture, traditions, music, sports and archaeology just to name a few. We hope that the tourism sector in Erbil and the whole of Kurdistan continues to grow so that it can be a worldwide destination for many.’
The opening ceremony was also attended by the Minister of Trade and Industry, Sinan Celebi, along with members of the diplomatic community in Kurdistan and officials from the public and private sector.
