ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq - Visit Kurdistan, a major platform aiming to promote the tourism sector and attract millions of visitors to the Kurdistan Region, was launched in Erbil on Tuesday, in a grand ceremony attended by scores of diplomats and top officials.

The platform, built on international standards, aims to change the Kurdistan Region's “visibility and perception as a globally-competitive destination,” according to Chief Executive Officer Daban Hamid, who stated that Tuesday’s launch marks “a new era for Kurdistan’s tourism.”

“Tourism, if treated strategically, can be an engine for nation-building. It is an industry that attracts investment, generates jobs, revitalizes towns and rural economies, it strengthens regional diplomacy, and promotes our identity on the global stage. Visit Kurdistan has been established to deliver exactly that,” said Hamid.

The Kurdistan Region offers over 2,500 resorts and tourist attraction sites. The Region’s beautiful nature and moderate temperatures during the summertime and cozy, snow-capped wintery retreats during the colder seasons have become major attractions for tourists from all over Iraq and further afield.

“We are working to bring to a fragmented center aligning stakeholders, simplifying regulations, improving licensing procedures, introducing standards and supporting tourism operators with tools they’ve never had access to before,” said the Visit Kurdistan CEO.

“We are not simply asking for more tourists… We are building investable opportunities across accommodation, transportation, experiences and services,” he added.

Hamid said that Visit Kurdistan is in line with the Kurdistan Regional Government’s (KRG) efforts to reform and diversify its economy, and is “a direct extension” of Prime Minister Masrour Barzani’s vision to improve the Region’s global standing and increase international engagement.

In a speech formally announcing the launch of the platform, Barzani said that Visit Kurdistan is another initiative to further introduce the Kurdistan Region to the world and attract visitors from across the globe, adding that the KRG aims to attract 20 million tourists per year over the next decade.

“The Kurdistan Region has an importance principle and position when it comes to tourism, which deserves and should become one of the most important sources of revenue, and create a lot of job opportunities for our youth,” said the Kurdish premier.

“The arrival of foreign tourists to the Kurdistan Region is a good opportunity to blend different cultures and further introduce the Kurdistan Region to the world,” he added.

Hamid also mentioned that the platform aims to establish a brand and market position for the Kurdistan Region through signing memoranda of understanding (MoUs) with Kurdish sporting champions as ambassadors, and partnerships with national companies.

The CEO then proceeded to sign the platform’s first ambassadorship MoU with German-Kurdish heavyweight boxing champion Agit Kabayel.

Speaking to The New Region, Kabayel said he takes pride in representing his Kurdish heritage on the global stage and hopes to carry the name of “Kurdistan” to audiences around the world.

Agit Kabayel, the undefeated heavyweight boxing champion, says he takes pride in representing his Kurdish heritage on the global stage and hopes to carry the name of "Kurdistan" to audiences around the world pic.twitter.com/u8f5s2WDYP

— The New Region (@thenewregion) June 10, 2025

Kabayel has held multiple titles throughout his career and has been the World Boxing Council (WBC) interim heavyweight champion since February.

“We are Kurdistan's loudest voice in welcoming the world to our doorstep,” Sozan Mirawdaly, senior public relations director at Visit Kurdistan, told The New Region.

“Come see this place for yourself,” said Mirawdaly, inviting tourists around the wolrd to come and experience the Kurdistan Region's hospitality, nature, and ancient history. “It's a safe region and we're very welcoming people, so just come experience it for yourself.”

Sozan Mirawdaly, Senior Public Relations Director at Visit Kurdistan, invites tourists to come and experience the Kurdistan Region's hospitality, nature, and ancient history for themselves pic.twitter.com/cKabZz8uVv

— The New Region (@thenewregion) June 10, 2025