DUHOK, Kurdistan Region — Duhok province has welcomed nearly 18,000 tourists so far during the Eid al-Adha holiday, with the majority coming from Iraq’s southern and central provinces, according to Sherwan Hashm, spokesperson for the Association of Hotels and Motels in Duhok.
Hashm added that the province’s 135 operational hotels and motels are currently nearing full capacity due to the high influx of visitors, highlighting a significant boost in the local tourism sector.
The Eid al-Adha celebration, however, comes at a difficult time for the Kurdistan Region, where civil servants are grappling with a worsening financial crisis. A recent decision by Iraq’s Finance Minister to withhold salary payments has left many without their May salaries ahead of the holiday, complicating their ability to meet essential expenses.
In recent years, the Kurdistan Region’s tourism growth has been largely fueled by visitors from Iraq’s southern provinces, where financial stability ensures timely salary payments—unlike their counterparts in Kurdistan, who often face delays or unpaid wages.