Baghdad – INA
The Tourism Authority announced on Saturday the completion of nomination files for five villages within the United Nations' Best Tourist Villages 2026 initiative.
Ali Yassin Abdul-Ridha, Director of Public Relations and Media and spokesperson for the General Authority for Tourism, told the Iraqi News Agency (INA): "Iraq has completed the nomination of five villages within the United Nations' Best Tourist Villages 2026 initiative to promote rural tourism." He explained that "the nominated Iraqi villages are: Bayara (Halabja), Rawanduz (Erbil), Harur (Duhok), Mirki (Nineveh), and Abu Subat (Dhi Qar)."
He clarified that "the nomination comes within the framework of the United Nations' initiative to nominate and select the 100 best tourist villages in the world. The Authority formed a technical team of top-level experts and conducted a comprehensive survey of all villages in Iraq. After studying the criteria required by the organization, it prepared complete and solid files for the five nominated villages."
He added, "The aim of this nomination is to achieve sustainable development and promote responsible and green tourism through the development and enhancement of ecotourism."
He emphasized that "Iraq boasts diverse tourism offerings, including religious, heritage, and cultural tourism, in addition to ecotourism, which relies on varied natural resources such as marshes, water bodies, mountains, and deserts. This necessitates the application of international tourism standards to develop and showcase these resources, attract tourists and investments, and encourage local communities to preserve them."