2026-05-28T15:38:42+00:00
Shafaq News- Duhok/ Al-Sulaymaniyah
Tourism authorities across the Kurdistan Region said Thursday they were preparing for a sharp rise in Eid al-Adha visitors, with hotels nearing full occupancy and thousands of tourists expected to arrive daily across Duhok and Zakho.
Officials in Zakho said tourist areas had witnessed heavy inflows since early morning, with more than 45 large buses entering the independent administration alongside continuous arrivals of smaller vehicles carrying visitors from across Iraq.
Piwar Sindi, media official for Zakho’s tourism administration, told Shafaq News that field teams were inspecting resorts, restaurants, and cafés to ensure readiness during the holiday period. He said tourism services had improved this year, citing new tourism projects, restoration of archaeological sites, and expansion of mountain resorts across the district.
According to local authorities, more than one million tourists visited Zakho last year, with officials expecting higher numbers during this year’s Eid holiday.
In neighboring Duhok, tourism officials said the province had completed preparations through coordinated service and hospitality plans involving hotels, restaurants, and tourist facilities.
Shomal Jaafar, media official for Duhok’s tourism directorate, said authorities expected between 7,000 and 8,000 tourists per day during Eid.
The directorate has distributed tourism guides, hotline numbers, QR-coded information cards, and environmental awareness materials, while also launching promotional campaigns highlighting Duhok’s tourist attractions.
Hotel official Ihsan Issa told Shafaq News occupancy rates in Duhok had reached nearly 90% during the four-day holiday period, though they remained below last year’s levels. He attributed the decline partly to economic conditions and the growing preference among tourists for renting private villas and farms instead of hotels.
In Al-Sulaymaniyah, the Kurdistan Region’s General Tourism Board said all field teams and committees had entered a state of full readiness ahead of the holiday.
Board spokesperson Ibrahim Abdul Majid said authorities had deployed teams at border crossings and key entry points to facilitate tourist arrivals and provide maps, brochures, and tourism guides across the Region’s main destinations. He added that hotline services and field patrols would operate throughout the holiday period to respond to complaints, emergencies, and visitor inquiries.
Source: Shafaq News
