Summer holiday...in iraq?

We're all going on a summer holiday - I'll tell you one thing for free - I don't think war-scarred Iraq was the idyllic destination Cliff Richard had in mind when he penned this song - but Iraq tourism officials are now touting the country as a great place to visit and holiday...

Last year, Iraq received almost a million tourists, far more than most people would think. However, the vast majority of these people were not visiting for a holiday, but rather as part of a religious pilgrimage - a popular route for Muslims from Iran, Pakistan, Bahrain or India.

Now, tourism officials are hoping to Change Iraq's war town status and attract holidaymakers looking for something more than two weeks lying on a beach. The past unrest and violence that still lingers in the country has been one of the major factors preventing foreigners travelling to the country.

Iraqi tourism officials have said that ‘very few pockets' of the country remain dangerous, more than six years after the US-led invasion which ousted dictator Saddam Hussein.

But, the twin bombings that took place last month are likely enough to scare visitors off.

The officials even touted the country at a major tourist industry fair for the first time in a decade - but were prevented from arriving on time to the World Travel Market event in London, due to visa problems in Baghdad.

Hardly a good start- merely highlighting the difficulty in entering and exiting the country.

Spokesman Hasan Al-Fayadh said, "Our strategy now is to attract people from other parts of the world, like Europe, North America and Asia, after the security situation has improved."

Some Iraqi attractions include Babylon, which lies less than 100 kilometres from Baghdad; the ancient city of Ur, the Biblical birthplace of Abraham; and the Southern port of Basra. According to some historians, the Garden of Eden is 80 kilometres north of Basra.

And access looks set to get easier too - Iraqi Airways and British Airways will shortly be launching services from London.

Picture by everystock