The Kurdistan region of Iraq is rich in many tourist areas, including mountains, valleys, waterfalls, and stunning scenery, in addition to archaeological monuments, while enjoying low temperatures in summer and snowfall in winter;

This is what made it a destination for millions.

The highest rigid waterfall in the country, 38 meters high (Al-Jazeera Net)

It is 38 meters high

The frozen waterfall, located in one of the villages that rises 1,700 meters above the surface of the earth, and which belongs to the Juman district in the Soran Department of Erbil Governorate, is one of the most unusual tourist areas;

It is the highest waterfall in the country and reaches a height of 38 meters. One of its characteristics is that the water flows from the top to the bottom in the mild seasons, but it freezes and turns into an iceberg in the winter.

The Iraqi currency, a category of 50 thousand dinars, included a picture of the frozen waterfall (communication sites)

Because it is the highest waterfall in the country, the government placed its image on the 50,000 dinars denomination of its official currency, according to Soran Barzan Muhammad, director of tourism in the Department of Tourism.

Placing his image on the local currency prompted government agencies to define him more widely through the media;

It increased the number of tourists to it, but Muhammad points to the almost lack of services in it, especially the way to reach it.

Barzan Muhammad admits that poor infrastructure prevented the flow of tourists to the frozen waterfall (Al-Jazeera)

The Director of Tourism - in his speech to Al Jazeera Net - acknowledges that the provision of infrastructure from the basic services of the waterfall - especially roads - will increase the number of tourists and make it one of the areas competing with other regions, stressing that his administration has chosen about 75 tourist places to provide him with primary services.

The region had set a record in the number of tourists coming to it during 2021;

It exceeded 4 million, an increase of 525% in the number of tourists over the past seven years, according to statistics issued by the Tourism Authority.

There are more than 200 tourist sites in Kurdistan, including 25 old and new tourist resorts, and there are 15 types of tourism in the region, the most important of which are religious, water, rural, winter, summer, medical, natural and historical.

About 90% of the tourist areas in Erbil are located within the Soran administration, and this has revived the tourism sector in the province over the past years, with the continued discovery of tourist areas there.

Tourists during a tour of the frozen waterfall area (Al Jazeera Net)

Absence of basic services

Although this administration is distinguished by its tourist areas, the director of the War Organization for the Protection of the Environment, Hajar Maher, criticizes the lack of infrastructure in the tourist areas, especially their lack of public roads, as well as the lack of a tourist guide to help reach the tourist areas, and this is what As a result, many of them disappeared from view.

According to Maher, the regional government is constantly seeking to diversify its imports and not rely solely on oil, and although Kurdistan can be a tourist destination, this sector does not occupy a large place in securing the region's imports.

But the head of the organization assures - to Al Jazeera Net - that this sector can provide many job opportunities for citizens if more attention is paid to it.

Maher suggests that government agencies adopt advanced technologies using technology to develop an electronic tourist guide that enables tourists to identify all tourist areas for the purpose of visiting them.

And he indicated that the tourist - in general - is attracted to the areas where there are water and waterfalls, especially the rare ones as in the frozen waterfall.

The role of the private sector

As for the economic expert, Muhammad Hussein, he suggests transferring it to the private sector in order to stimulate tourism, considering that successive governments in the region and in the center failed to increase its vitality and were poorly managed.

The economic expert confirms - to Al Jazeera Net - that shifting to the private sector would provide many jobs for the classes below the poverty line, and contribute to revitalizing the economic movement more in Kurdistan, as well as helping the flow of funds.