ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq – A 215-kilometer trail in the Kurdistan Region has been named “Best Wider World Tourism Project” by the British Guild of Travel Writers (BGTW).

The track’s first stage is a 16.5-kilometer route from the village of Shush to Akre, with an elevation gain of 760 meters. From there, it extends to cover 215 kilometers and connects over 30 villages.

In addition to allowing hikers to connect with the mountain’s inhabitants, the trail is also garmented with several landmarks, such as an old monastery in the Gundki village, opposite to which is a cave with carvings dating back to 3,000 BC. 

“This recognition is a huge honor for everyone involved,” according to Barzi Bakir, the Executive Director of the Kurdistan Trails Organization (KTO), which manage the project. “What began as a dream to connect communities has now become a symbol of pride for Kurdistan,” the Zagros Mountain Trail quoted Bakir as saying in a press release.

“Winning this award means we’re on the right track—but it also challenges us to go further,” Bakir noted. “Our focus now is to make the trail more accessible, expand local participation, and strengthen partnerships that enhance the visitor experience while preserving the trail’s authenticity.”

The Kurdistan Region offers over 3,000 resorts and tourist attraction sites, and its beautiful nature and moderate temperatures during the summertime and cozy, snow-capped winter retreats during the colder seasons have become major tourist attractions for people from all over Iraq and abroad.

Around eight million tourists visit the Kurdistan Region annually according to official data published by the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) in late September.

Photo: BGTW

The Zagros Mountain Trail’s win at the BGTW Awards highlights the growing recognition of Iraq’s Kurdistan Region as an emerging hub for responsible and community-driven tourism—a destination where visitors can experience connection, culture, and peace through the simple act of walking.

The director answered further questions from The New Region regarding the winning of the award:

What does this journey—from a small idea by both local and external partners—to becoming a worldwide tourism winner mean to the founding team?

It means the world to us. What began as a simple walk and a shared idea between local and international partners has grown into something far beyond what we imagined—a 215 km trail that connects communities, cultures, and hearts across the mountains. To see this vision recognized on a global stage is an incredible honor, not just for our team, but for every family along the trail. The same families who once opened their homes, shared meals, and guided guests through their villages now proudly see their land celebrated as a true destination—a place that the world recognizes for its warmth, beauty, and hospitality. This award feels like a collective victory for everyone who believed in the power of walking together.

How will the ZMT project and this international award fundamentally change the trajectory of tourism for the Kurdistan Region?

This award is a milestone not just for the Zagros Mountain Trail, but for the entire tourism story of Kurdistan. For so long, Kurdistan has had everything a world-class destination needs—breathtaking nature, deep history, and a culture of warmth and hospitality—but it simply needed the world to notice. This recognition puts Kurdistan on the global tourism map and proves that sustainable, community-led travel can thrive here. It highlights that tourism can be more than seasonal—it can become a real source of pride and livelihood for local people. If international visitors are already captivated enough to celebrate one mountain trail, imagine the potential when we invest more in the many untouched landscapes and cultural treasures across the region. This is the beginning of a new era—where both visitors and locals can see Kurdistan not as a place to live, but as a destination to explore, cherish, and grow.

What is the most immediate, tangible change you expect to see in the ZMT project or its future now that you have won this major endorsement?

This recognition raises the bar for us—in the best possible way. Winning such an award means the Zagros Mountain Trail has already proven its worth, but it also challenges us to go further, dream bigger, and deliver more. Our immediate focus is to make the trail more accessible and engaging for both local and international visitors—through new partnerships, digital tools, and on-the-ground improvements that enhance the experience while preserving its authenticity. We’re also working to deepen community involvement so that every village along the route benefits and takes pride in hosting travelers from around the world. This isn’t the finish line—it’s the beginning of an even greater journey. Our goal now is to build on this success, strengthen the model we’ve created, and eventually replicate it across other breathtaking regions of Kurdistan, turning one trail into a movement for sustainable tourism and cultural connection.