Thread: Iraq Tourism

Iraq Tourism
http://www.iraq-tourism.net/

Since 2003, the amount of tourism has dropped significantly. Today, there are warnings posted all over the Internet about traveling to Iraq is not recommended because it is highly dangerous. People are getting kidnapped, car jacked, assaulted and even killed for just being in Iraq. When the United States captured Saddam Hussein, a new hope was given to the people of Iraq and for the people in that region. But the country still has its problems with insurgents.
It is really a shame because there really are some outstanding places to see.

No frills tourism - in Iraq
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/7957974.stm


The travel company decided to operate without any guards

By Hugh Sykes
BBC News, Baghdad

The Sheraton Hotel in Baghdad has seen better days. But it is still open for business.
Five British tourists, two Americans and a Canadian spent two nights there at the end of a tour of Iraq which has included historic sites as well as cities where extreme violence is still a possibility.
They could be the cast of an Agatha Christie thriller - Adventure in Mesopotamia, perhaps: a civil servant, a businessman, a retired sub-postmaster, a former US probation officer and an archaeologist from London.


They had travelled the country from Irbil in the north to Basra in the south, taking in Babylon on the way, and the site of Ur of the Chaldees, the Arch of Ctesiphon and the holy cities of Najaf and Kerbala.
On their last day, they set off to see the grandiose Baghdad parade ground installed by Saddam Hussein. It is only 1km from their hotel but it took them two hours to negotiate a checkpoint before they could get there.
Generous welcome
Another day, on the road between Najaf and Nasariyah in the south, they spent six hours at checkpoints.
But those I spoke to all agreed it was worth it - for the places they managed to visit, and for the generous welcoming people they met wherever they went.
And none of the group seemed very concerned about security.
"It never occurred to me to think it was a risk," said the 77-year-old archaeologist from north London, Bridget Jones.
"I'm an optimist. I think it'll never happen to me."
She admitted she had heard "a couple of explosions", and then she told me that she would prefer to be killed by a car bomb than die in a hospital geriatric ward.
Former probation officer Jo Gilbert, from the US, agreed there was a danger of being kidnapped and murdered.
But, with a nervous laugh, she said she was prepared to take that risk.
Geoff Moore - the retired sub-postmaster, from Otterburn in the north of England - listened to some of his travel companions grumbling about dirty lavatories and lack of hot water in hotels, and quietly observed:
"It's quite wonderful to be here. To get here, I mean - come on! - you've got to put up with something haven't you?"
Low profile
Tina Townsend-Greaves, a civil servant from the English county of Yorkshire, bought a couple of souvenirs from a man in a dusty tent beneath the crossed swords at the Saddam Hussein parade ground in Baghdad.
They were a baseball cap marked "Iraq" and a model of the Lion of Babylon that lights up when you press a switch.
"My friends certainly think I'm a bit mad - but I tend to go on holiday to places like Afghanistan, so I think they're used to it!" said Tina as she flipped back her long blonde hair and grinned.
The British tour company, Hinterland Travel, asked the Iraqi authorities to provide two armed guards.
They were told they would have to have 25, and pay for their board and lodging.
So Hinterland's managing director Geoff Hann chose the low profile alternative - no guards at all.
He and his clients are all safely on their way home, after an improbable but enriching 17 days in Iraq.
And the ministry of tourism in Baghdad hope that, like Northern Ireland, Iraq will recover from its reputation for terrorism - and become better known for tourism - in the "land of the two rivers", Mesopotamia.

IRAQ Tourism slowly recovering after seven years
http://www.bangkokpost.com/business/...er-seven-years

The Iraq Tourism Board exhibited at the World Travel Market here last week, its first appearance at an international travel show since 1980, the year the Iran-Iraq war began.

"Last year, we came just to see but this year we decided it was time to take part. Next year, we are hoping to take part in the ITB Berlin in March and the Arabian Travel Market in Dubai in May," said Hassan Taha Al Fayadh, the media relations manager.

The Iraqis had a delegation of about 15 companies, including hotels and tour operators, as well as the hotel association.

Mr Al Fayadh said that after the American-led attack on Iraq in 2003, many of the tourist spots had been occupied by the military and were in bad shape. However, he said much rehabilitation work had been done over the last five years and most of the artefacts looted from the Iraqi national museum had been returned.

With the Arab summit having been confirmed for Baghdad in March 2011, he said the Iraqi government had sanctioned US$300 million for the construction of six hotels to accommodate the delegates.

He said there are three international gateway airports now in operation, Baghdad, Najaf and Mosul. However, there is a lot of border traffic from next door neighbours Iran, Syria and Jordan.

Mr Al Fayadh said Iraqi Airways is unable to fly abroad at the moment due to an unsettled dispute with Kuwait over compensation claims dating back to the Saddam Hussein's invasion of Kuwait in 1990. The airline is now being renamed and placed under a different corporate structure to free it from legal action.

He said visas can be given in seven days. There is no diplomatic mission in Bangkok but there are in Kuala Lumpur, Jakarta, Tokyo, Beijing, New Delhi, Islamabad and Canberra.

Asked about the safety issues and the presence of numerous checkpoints in Baghdad and along many of the highways, Mr Al Fayadh said: "Well, we still have a security problem so these checkpoints are necessary. What can I tell you? My own home is 15 kilometres from my office and on some days it takes me two hours to get there. Let's just say it's part of the experience."

He said a UK company has been organising tours for the past two years, and a trickle of French, Canadians and American tourists is now coming in. Recently, there has also been a sudden interest from Taiwanese, he said.

The return of Iraq was prominently featured in a report prepared for the WTM by EuroMonitor International, a research company.

Said the report, "Endless wars and political conflicts have overshadowed Iraq's position as the cradle of civilisation, but post-war Iraq is experiencing a tourism revival. The Tourist Board of Iraq's attendance is testament to the importance of tourism to the country's future regeneration."

It said 1.3 million arrivals visited Iraq in 2009, with religious tourism accounting for 75%, mainly from Iran. Now, around US$230 billion worth of projects are underway, with 87% growth in 2009, of which 35% are dedicated to construction.

"Gulf investors are piling into Iraq, driving up business tourism by 58% in 2009. The reopening of routes to the West is increasing visitors from Germany, the US and UK."

The report noted that historically, religious tourism was the main driver of tourism in Iraq. Landmarks such as the city of Najaf are famous destinations for Shia pilgrims. Archaeological landmarks are also popular, for example, Samarra, the former capital of the Abbasid Caliphate.

Direct flights to Iraq from European countries now include Austria, Germany, Greece, Norway, Sweden and the UK, paving the way for more to follow. The low-cost subsidiary of Emirates airlines, flydubai, has launched new routes to Erbil and more low-cost carrier competition is expected.

International travel agencies such as Sharaf Travel (UAE) and Terre Entiere (France) set up in Iraq in early 2010. In future, cruise ships could reach Basra and conduct tours from there.

On the hotel front, the Euromonitor report said that Safir Hotels & Resorts opened a 340-room property in Karbala in 2010. "By 2014, 700 travel accommodation outlets are forecast to operate and are expected to increase in line with the country's security and perceived attractiveness."

Rotana, a prominent Middle East hotel chain, is opening its first hotel in the country in Erbil in late 2010, with additional expansion plans for its Arjaan and Centro brands. Rotana in Baghdad is scheduled for 2012.

In Erbil, the five-star Divan Erbil Park Hotel and Le Royal Park Hotel will open in 2011. Millennium and Copthorne are also planning two Copthorne hotels in Kurdistan. The Iraqi Ministry of Tourism announced projects such as the US$1 billion Wasit Tourist City, the report said.

IRAQ Tourism slowly recovering after seven years
http://www.bangkokpost.com/business/...er-seven-years

The Iraq Tourism Board exhibited at the World Travel Market here last week, its first appearance at an international travel show since 1980, the year the Iran-Iraq war began.

"Last year, we came just to see but this year we decided it was time to take part. Next year, we are hoping to take part in the ITB Berlin in March and the Arabian Travel Market in Dubai in May," said Hassan Taha Al Fayadh, the media relations manager.

The Iraqis had a delegation of about 15 companies, including hotels and tour operators, as well as the hotel association.

Mr Al Fayadh said that after the American-led attack on Iraq in 2003, many of the tourist spots had been occupied by the military and were in bad shape. However, he said much rehabilitation work had been done over the last five years and most of the artefacts looted from the Iraqi national museum had been returned.

With the Arab summit having been confirmed for Baghdad in March 2011, he said the Iraqi government had sanctioned US$300 million for the construction of six hotels to accommodate the delegates.

He said there are three international gateway airports now in operation, Baghdad, Najaf and Mosul. However, there is a lot of border traffic from next door neighbours Iran, Syria and Jordan.

Mr Al Fayadh said Iraqi Airways is unable to fly abroad at the moment due to an unsettled dispute with Kuwait over compensation claims dating back to the Saddam Hussein's invasion of Kuwait in 1990. The airline is now being renamed and placed under a different corporate structure to free it from legal action.

He said visas can be given in seven days. There is no diplomatic mission in Bangkok but there are in Kuala Lumpur, Jakarta, Tokyo, Beijing, New Delhi, Islamabad and Canberra.

Asked about the safety issues and the presence of numerous checkpoints in Baghdad and along many of the highways, Mr Al Fayadh said: "Well, we still have a security problem so these checkpoints are necessary. What can I tell you? My own home is 15 kilometres from my office and on some days it takes me two hours to get there. Let's just say it's part of the experience."

He said a UK company has been organising tours for the past two years, and a trickle of French, Canadians and American tourists is now coming in. Recently, there has also been a sudden interest from Taiwanese, he said.

The return of Iraq was prominently featured in a report prepared for the WTM by EuroMonitor International, a research company.

Said the report, "Endless wars and political conflicts have overshadowed Iraq's position as the cradle of civilisation, but post-war Iraq is experiencing a tourism revival. The Tourist Board of Iraq's attendance is testament to the importance of tourism to the country's future regeneration."

It said 1.3 million arrivals visited Iraq in 2009, with religious tourism accounting for 75%, mainly from Iran. Now, around US$230 billion worth of projects are underway, with 87% growth in 2009, of which 35% are dedicated to construction.

"Gulf investors are piling into Iraq, driving up business tourism by 58% in 2009. The reopening of routes to the West is increasing visitors from Germany, the US and UK."

The report noted that historically, religious tourism was the main driver of tourism in Iraq. Landmarks such as the city of Najaf are famous destinations for Shia pilgrims. Archaeological landmarks are also popular, for example, Samarra, the former capital of the Abbasid Caliphate.

Direct flights to Iraq from European countries now include Austria, Germany, Greece, Norway, Sweden and the UK, paving the way for more to follow. The low-cost subsidiary of Emirates airlines, flydubai, has launched new routes to Erbil and more low-cost carrier competition is expected.

International travel agencies such as Sharaf Travel (UAE) and Terre Entiere (France) set up in Iraq in early 2010. In future, cruise ships could reach Basra and conduct tours from there.

On the hotel front, the Euromonitor report said that Safir Hotels & Resorts opened a 340-room property in Karbala in 2010. "By 2014, 700 travel accommodation outlets are forecast to operate and are expected to increase in line with the country's security and perceived attractiveness."

Rotana, a prominent Middle East hotel chain, is opening its first hotel in the country in Erbil in late 2010, with additional expansion plans for its Arjaan and Centro brands. Rotana in Baghdad is scheduled for 2012.

In Erbil, the five-star Divan Erbil Park Hotel and Le Royal Park Hotel will open in 2011. Millennium and Copthorne are also planning two Copthorne hotels in Kurdistan. The Iraqi Ministry of Tourism announced projects such as the US$1 billion Wasit Tourist City, the report said.

Daring to Travel When Your Government Says Don't
http://news.travel.aol.com/2011/02/2...ent-says-dont/

Since 2003, the amount of tourism has dropped significantly. Today, there are warnings posted all over the Internet about traveling to Iraq is not recommended because it is highly dangerous. People are getting kidnapped, car jacked, assaulted and even killed for just being in Iraq. When the United States captured Saddam Hussein, a new hope was given to the people of Iraq and for the people in that region. But the country still has its problems with insurgents. It is really a shame because there really are some outstanding places to see.

Iraq is full of history that people just don't know about. With the 2003 invasion and the fall of Saddam Hussein, Iraq has become more violent than before. But that doesn't seem to stop people from traveling there.

If you ever get the chance to visit Iraq, here are some great places you should not miss. Some cities such as Kurdistan are considered to be safer than places like Baghdad or Ukhaidhir. There are some sites in Iraq that are worth checking out. There are Hotels, Cinema Halls, Theatres, Zoos, Music Halls, Museums, Churches and Mosques. There is a lot of history in each site you see.


thanks










free software download







download software







free download

thanks mark for your input..
Babil Ruins Museum, Babylon Iraq, ReOpens

Tourism needs a revolution and a new beginning in Iraq
http://www.shafaaq.com/en/interviews...-in-iraq-.html

Iraq to make Arabian Travel Market debut
http://www.zawya.com/Story.cfm/sidZA...Market%20debut


The Rotana Hotel in Erbil, Iraq.

Iraqi travel sector set for major growth as business and religious tourism increases amid renewed billion dollar infrastructure investment and expanding air links

Ice Pack branch in baghdad:





http://www.icepackco.com/