Iraq Kurdistan to Tourists: Don’t Confuse Us with the Rest of Iraq
Travel Blog • Jim Benning • 10.23.06 | 3:55 PM ET
I’m accustomed to seeing TV commercials promoting vacations in places like New Zealand and Canada. So when I saw the commercial on CNN the other day touting travel to Kurdistan, I thought, of course, Kurdistan? Today, the AP explains the commercial’s origins. It turns out a California firm helped make the commercial for the Kurdistan Development Corp.
Reports the AP:
The location and political history of the region — the Kurds have previously sought independence from Iraq — make some marketing experts skeptical about the real intentions of the campaign.
Jonathan Frenzen, who teaches marketing at the University of Chicago, said the campaign looks to him to be more of an effort to distance Kurdistan from the rest of Iraq than to immediately lure tourists and investors.
“The ads are helping Kurdistan separate itself from the rest of Iraq,” Frenzen said. “It’s a clever way to go about it.”
That said, if you don’t mind a holiday in a war-torn region—and perhaps making a flight connection in beautiful Baghdad—you just might be pleased with Kurdistan’s offerings.
Remarked one Kurdistan official, “Historically (tourism) has been one of our strengths. For the adventure tourist there is rock climbing and river rafting. Great prophets are buried there. There are Roman ruins.”
I’m sure, but something tells me this just isn’t Kurdistan’s time.
Email to friend
Twitter
del.icio.us
Digg
Facebook
Furl
Ma.gnolia
Mixx
Reddit
StumbleUpon
Yahoo! Buzz
Jim Benning is the editor and co-founder of World Hum.
Nicholas C.M.Somerville 10.24.06 | 6:51 AM ET
This is incorrect as ” The Other Iraq ” campaign is intended to demonstrate that not all of Iraq can be judged by what you read in the media and that the economic and political climate in the three Northern governates that make up the autonomous region of Kurdistan is relatively secure and prospering.This is not a political campaign trying to separate the Kurdistan region from the rest of Iraq.In fact the Kurdistan Regional Government (“KRG”)wishes to remain a part of the Federal Republic of Iraq and this campaign is indeed meant to encourage international companies to visit and invest in the Kurdistan region in Iraq, where the people really see the Coalition forces as “Liberators” rather than “occupiers” as they do in the rest of Iraq.
Nicholas C.M.Somerville 10.24.06 | 7:46 AM ET
Following up my earlier comment,it is important to state that there are now at least 75 flights a week into/out of the newly opened Hewler (Erbil) International Airport that fly in directly from Europe (Frankfurt,Stockholm) and the Middle East(including Dubai,Jordon and Istanbul) and there is also a newly opened International airport in Suleymaneya.These international flights are all direct and none of them land at Baghdad,although Iraqi Airways operates
domestic flights between Baghdad and Erbil/Suleymaneya.
Mina Meman 04.10.08 | 4:24 PM ET
I’m leaving to Kurdistan in one month, IT IS KURDISTANS time. Somethings telling ME that you just wanted to make a few bucks by writing this article….