SORAN, Kurdistan Region — As summer temperatures rise, Erbil’s Soran district becomes a bustling hub for tourists flocking to popular destinations like Gali Ali Bag waterfall and Bekhal resort. However, visitors are met with significant challenges due to inadequate infrastructure and a severe shortage of accommodation options.
The two-lane road leading to these attractions is struggling to accommodate the influx of visitors, leading to frustrating traffic and travel conditions. Tourists have voiced their dissatisfaction with the narrow and poorly maintained roads, which add to their overall disappointment.
Adding to the frustration is the lack of sufficient lodging. The district’s limited number of hotels and motels is proving inadequate to handle the surge of visitors. Tourists report inadequate service levels, highlighting issues such as unsanitary conditions at these sites. Goran Mohammed, a tourist, expressed his frustration: “The services at this tourist spot, particularly in terms of cleanliness and hygiene, are severely lacking and require immediate attention. Discarded blankets, water bottles, and other trash are scattered around, leading to disappointment and boredom.”
The shortage of accommodations, combined with inadequate road infrastructure in Erbil's Soran administration, has significantly affected the area's ability to attract and accommodate tourists despite its potential as a popular destination.
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Resort owners are also calling for improvements. Mahdi Ahmed, a local resort owner, stressed the importance of quality road infrastructure: “While the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) has made strides with the Spilk-Khalifan Road, there are still significant road issues that need addressing to attract more tourists.”
According to Faisal Sadiq, General Director of the Soran Tourism Directorate, only 15 percent of the area’s tourism revenues are reinvested into the sector. This limited investment, coupled with a financial crisis and the shortage of proper accommodation, exacerbates the situation. Sadiq acknowledged the challenges: “The influx of tourists has created an accommodation problem, as we are struggling to meet the growing demand.”
Currently, Soran boasts only six hotels, 15 motels, two tourist communities, and ten tourist villages, providing a total capacity for 3,500 guests. Despite these facilities, the region attracts hundreds of thousands of tourists annually, highlighting a critical need for better infrastructure and expanded accommodation options to enhance the visitor experience and support the local tourism industry.
Reporting by Sarhad Abdullah
