ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq – The Kurdistan Region’s capital Erbil is adorned with festive lights and decorations, with more than 200,000 tourists expected to visit the Region’s provinces for New Year holidays.

“For the New Year holidays, we anticipate the arrival of over 200,000 tourists to the Kurdistan Region,” the spokesperson for the Kurdistan Region’s tourism board Ibrahim Abdulmajid told The New Region on Friday.

Dler Mohammed, Director General of Erbil Tourism, said that there has been a “noticeable” rise in tourist arrivals to the Kurdish capitals throughout 2025 during holidays and special occasions, projecting that the trend will continue with the New Year celebrations.

Mohammed added that an “extensive meeting” was held with other officials at the Erbil Provincial Council to make necessary preparations “to host the largest number of tourists and accommodate them in the best manner.”

Meanwhile, Parez Yousif, Director of Tourism for Rawanduz, told The New Region that, over the past 10 days, all tourist accommodation locations have been “fully booked with no vacancies remaining.”

Around 8 million tourists visit the Kurdistan Region annually, according to official data from the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG).

The Kurdistan Region’s tourism industry has become a booming sector in recent years. The 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.

The KRG aims to attract 20 million tourists per year by 2030.