A Study on Tourism Capability in Kurdistan Region of Iraq: A Descriptive Analysis
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.23918/ejmss.V6i1P35Keywords:
Tourism Potential, Tourism Investment, Tourism Demand, Local Economy, Kurdistan RegionAbstract
This study examines the potential of investments in the tourism sector and their impact on local economic development in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. In this study, a descriptive-analytical approach was used to check how tourism investment contributes to economic growth in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. This study finds that the Kurdistan Region keeps natural and human components like attractive landscapes, skilled human resources, and cultural heritage making KRG a more attractive destination for tourism and increase in tourism investments. That is why tourism demand is continuously increasing due to political stability in this region. This study also finds that the volume of tourism investments increases due to the security, political, and economic stability in this region. Despite these opportunities, challenges remain such as infrastructural limitations, regulatory barriers, and investment inefficiencies and the study highlights why the strategic investment plan should maximize potential and ensure long-term economic growth in KRG and KRG further strengthen and develop the economy while making the key tourism destinations. Furthermore, the study concludes that it is necessary to develop a strategic plan for investments in the tourism sector which can contribute to achieving sustainable tourism development goals in the Kurdistan region which can also contribute of total investments to the growth of gross domestic products at the current price in Kurdistan Region for long term prosperity and economic resilience in the Kurdistan region of Iraq.
References
Ali, S. H., & Abdullah, R. (2020). Exploring the role of social media in promoting tourism in Kurdistan. Current Issues in Tourism, 23(2), 206-221.
Aziz, A., & Rahman, M. M. (2019). Perceptions and experiences of tourists in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. Tourism Analysis, 24(4), 443-457.
Barros, C. P., & Machado, L. P. (2010). The measurement of efficiency of Portuguese tourism destinations: A two-stage data envelopment analysis. Tourism Management, 31(6), 775-785.
Farooq, U., Tabash, M.I., Anagreh, S. et al. Economic growth, foreign investment, tourism, and electricity production as determinants of environmental quality: empirical evidence from GCC region. Environ Sci Pollut Res 30, 45768–45780 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-023-25545-0
Hassan, K., & Salih, N. (2021). Destination image and tourist satisfaction in the Kurdistan Region. Journal of Destination Marketing & Management, 19, 100500.
Henderson, J. C. (2017). Tourism in Kurdistan: An empirical analysis of emerging trends. Tourism Management, 61, 230-243.
Hosseini, S. A., Amini, A., & Nabavi, S. F. (2011). Analyzing medical tourism in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. Iranian Journal of Public Health, 40(2), 123-129.
Insch, A., & Stewart, W. P. (2011). Exploring the motivations of volunteer tourists in Kurdistan, Iraq. Journal of Hospitality Marketing & Management, 20(4), 420-439.
Ismail, H., & Abdul, H. (2021). Challenges and prospects of ecotourism in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. Tourism Geographies, 23(2), 350-368.
Khan, M. A., & Chelliah, S. (2008). Challenges of tourism development in a developing country: The stakeholders' perspective in Bangladesh. Tourism Management, 29(1), 156-166.
Kheder, S., & Ahmed, D. (2018). Tourism capabilities and development in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. Tourism Planning & Development, 15(5), 562-577.
Kumar, S., & Nadda, S. (2010). Tourism and its impact on economic development. Journal of Tourism Economics, 12(4), 45-60.
Kumar, R., & Nadda, V. (2010). Assessment of service quality in the Indian hotel industry: A comparative study of three-to-five-star hotels. International Journal of Quality & Reliability Management, 27(4), 454-478.
Kothari, C. R. (2004). Research methodology: Methods and techniques (2nd ed.). New Age International.
Mazumdar, S., & Mazumdar, S. (2004). Value-based positioning of the destination. Annals of Tourism Research, 31(3), 638-657.
Othman, N. S., & Zaki, M. A. (2012). Tourism and economic development in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. Journal of Travel Research, 51(4), 431-445.
Rasheed, H., & Ali, S. (2018). The role of cultural heritage in tourism development in the Kurdistan Region. Journal of Heritage Tourism, 13(5), 489-504.
Song, H., Dwyer, L., Li, G., & Cao, Z. (2012). Tourism economics research: A review and assessment. Annals of Tourism Research, 39(3), 1653-1682.
Sulaiman, A., & Mahmood, S. (2016). The impact of political instability on tourism in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. Tourism Economics, 22(4), 753-772.
Torres, P., & Godinho, P. (2022). Does Tourism Matter to National Innovation Capability? Tourism Planning & Development, 20(1), 108–133. https://doi.org/10.1080/21568316.2022.2146740
Ülker, P., Ülker, M. and Karamustafa, K. (2023), "Bibliometric analysis of bibliometric studies in the field of tourism and hospitality", Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Insights, Vol. 6 No. 2, pp. 797-818. https://doi.org/10.1108/JHTI-10-2021-0291
UNWTO. (2019). Tourism highlights: 2019 edition. Retrieved from https://www.unwto.org/annual-report-2019
UNWTO. (2023). Tourism’s importance for growth. United Nations World Tourism Organization. Retrieved from https://www.unwto.org
Wu, B., & Zhang, L. (2019). Destination competitiveness research: A review and proposition. *Annals of Tourism Research, 75, 1-19.
World Bank. (2022). Tourism and competitiveness. World Bank. Retrieved from https://www.worldbank.org/en/topic/tourism
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
License
Eurasian Journal of Management & Social Sciences (EJMSS)
Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial 2.0 Generic Licence (CC BY-NC 2.0)
