Ways to Develop Mountain Tourism to Market it as a Tourist in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq

Abstract

The research aims to activate the tourism development of the mountainous region in order to obtain a tourist product and make it a competitive achievement as a major tool for tourism promotion and put it on the map of tourism for its marketing. Since, the Kurdistan Region has a lot of natural and human elements worthy of a tourist demand during the four seasons, the identity and presence of the Kurds highly linked with the mountains and a national political, presence and national and these factors enrich the human resources. Thus, mountain tourism is a distinctive productive sector if it is invested well. The problem of the research is reflected in the following question: How can we obtain a mountain tourism product that fits and harmonizes with the property of the mountain heritage for marketing? To answer this question, the study has adopted a descriptive analytical approach that contributes to the study of the natural and human components of the mountainous areas in the Kurdistan Region. For this reason the researcher conducted a survey by designing a questionnaire that included 30 questions which was distributed randomly over 44 tourists who came to Erbil City. One of the most important conclusions that the research has arrived at is that the mountainous areas in the Kurdistan Region possesses natural and human resources, where geographic diversity and social heritage are intertwined to form harmonious elements. One of the most important recommendations made by the study is the implementation of strategic developmental policies in the mountainous areas that face many challenges and constraints due to the political, legal, security and organizational reality of the public and private sectors, which negatively affect the tourism development and the ability to market them. It is also recommended that the infrastructure and superstructure must be developed, the most important of which is the road network that exceeds all land difficulties. Additionally, the development of strategic projects such as the railway network to cover large areas of the region and link all its bridges and districts and districts with important city centers and all over Iraq as well as abroad is also recommended. Tourism laws related to environmental aspects and preservation of cultural heritage to achieve sustainable development is also issues to be considered.