Journal of Tourism and Hospitality Management

Promoting the Tourism Industry of Kurdistan Region of Iraq (Halabja Province as a Case Study)
Dr. Hatem Hatef Abdulkadhim Altaee, Ako Mohammed Tofiq, Mariwan Mahdi Jamel

Abstract
Kurdistan Region is gradually gaining recognition from the other parts of Iraqs a tourist destination. However, internationally, not much is known or has been documented concerning the potential of the tourism industry in the Region. Despite having many prospects, this industry in the Kurdistan region remains neglected for a long time and sharing of KRI in world tourism is poor. This study represents an exploratory attempt to investigate the status of tourism promotion in the Kurdistan region of Iraq taken Halabja as a case study. The main findings of the study show that the main reason of the visitors is looking at the natural place and spends their leisure time. Moreover, it seems that the Word of Mouth(WOM) is the most effective marketing method. Regarding the satisfaction level our results suggest that around 77% of participants indicate that their satisfaction level is above the average. Our results suggest that a favorable culture should be created for foreign tourists. In addition, there is a need for highly qualified employees to work in this sector.

Full Text: PDF     DOI: 10.15640/jthm.v5n1a11