Iraq Tourism Authority outlines plan to develop desert tourism products

BAGHDAD, Iraq — Iraq's Tourism Authority is working to turn the country's vast desert areas into structured tourism products, authority spokesman Ali Yasin said, noting that desert tourism remains in its early stages despite the country's natural and cultural assets. Yasin said desert regions in Anbar, Muthanna, Najaf, Karbala and Dhi Qar hold rich natural resources but lack the investment and regulatory framework needed to attract visitors. The authority has proposed a package of activities including traditional and luxury camping, astronomy tours for stargazing, trekking and climbing in valleys and sand dunes, desert cycling, sand sliding and four-wheel-drive racing. Visits to Bedouin communities and the promotion of traditional hospitality and folklore performances are also being considered part of the cultural tourism offering, according to Yasin. The spokesman said desert tourism could create jobs in remote areas, support local economies and diversify income sources. He stressed that the sector should be managed under a sustainable ecotourism approach and called for a comprehensive institutional framework to be built jointly by the Tourism Authority, the ministries of environment, interior and transport, provincial councils, the private sector and local communities. No timeline or funding details for the proposed framework were provided.