Karwan Talaat Rashid

Faculty of Administrative Sciences and Economics

TISHK INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY

Erbil, Kurdistan

Email: [email protected]

 

Ecotourism is the tourism industry directed the visitors and increase the interests to visit the natural environments, intend to long-run protection of the efforts and observe the natural of the wildlife and secures normal living spaces and pioneering environment. Interactive program empowers a facilitated nature experience in environmentally exposed areas. The aim of this study is to clarify the social and individual motivational factors governing satisfaction with practical nature excursions. The researcher tried to understand the type of tourism and the factors are impact on the eco-tourism and Identify the effectiveness relations to captivate the tourists in travel industry. Sustaining tourism industry and marketing innovation bring the opportunity which amount of money entering by transportation, foods, accommodation, cultural integrity to the country and it is increase the chance of the job occasions. Nowadays, in Kurdistan region of Iraq tourism sector is growing as a large enterprise of hand-made products and service industry by having the local production and constructions to be the sustainable development tool to attract the tourists.

Ecotourism and Natural Protection

Ecotourism is a piece of natural protection and understanding what the necessities of the general population is increasingly focused on natural protection and educating travelers on the local environments and wildlife surrounding which is impact on the national communities in result of sustain the travelers to visit the country landscapes. A typical ecotourism objective is generating the economic advantages regardless of whether they be benefits for organizations, employments for networks, or incomes for efforts. These positive financial effects can prompt expanded help for the ensured regions with which they are related. In 2019 Kurdistan has welcomed over 3.1 Million visitors who are visited Kurdistan Region, that was because of the attractive resorts and boasting beautiful natural landscape and affordable activities (Kurdistan 24, 2018). Kurdistan as Muslim region and safest region in the Iraq territory that is protect by the Kurdish military (Peshmerga) there are several Muslim festivals, feasts and different other occasions occurs that is captivate the neighbor visitors and travels to Kurdistan which is consent the tourism environment beyond the aspect of the destination. Kurdistan need to boost the tourism and hospitality sector partially with the refinery fields of oil. Because, currently tourism and hospitality are the most competitive business in the world which can bring variety of the cultures, currencies, networks and revenue sources. Hospitality compromises the service industries which is provided transportation, accommodation, food and there are other combinations of the activities. Tourism is the activity process which is outcome of the interaction of the tourism suppliers, host country, local communities of the travelers and the landscapes of the natural environment which is involving the tourism sector and other holy places are have its place to the history. Globalization has turned into a main thrust to numerous businesses currently. The Tourism industry being one of the quickest developing enterprises has profited from it. This has allowed for integration of the developing countries interim of culture, politics, politics, and economics partially to attracting tourists the country.

In large number of visitors and extensive, ecotourism as a foreign motivation and source of indirect income helps Kurdistan region to become develop prominent ecotourism goals which is the result of the horizon landscape indication. It is potential sustainable establishment of the ecotourism in Kurdistan as unexpectable future of political situation, economy, social change that might pose bright on the running approach potential of ecotourism, providing variety and enormousness social, economic, and environmental advantages which could advance sustainable practices of ecotourism as a positive situation to some extent.  (Li, 2012).

In Kurdistan circumstances the political situation is fundamentally affect the sustainability of tourism sector and ecotourism in the existent planning and management to develop the tour operator, tourists and local community. Operation tourism industry that bring the opportunity which amount of money entering by transportation, foods, accommodation, cultural integrity to the country and it is increase the chance of the job occasions.

Tourism sector is growing as a large enterprise of hand-made products and service industry by having the local production and constructions to be the sustainable development tool in Kurdistan. Ecotourism development diversify the tourism activity and create service opportunity of accommodation, education, sports and entertainment. Numerus of visitors to the natural places that gives entering the new steps of sharing and facilitating by the tourist service providers.

Relation between Marketing and Ecotourism

Marketing is indicating the goal of satisfying the needs and wants of the segment customers’ which is long-term services prosperity in satisfying the interests of the location environments that insuring to reach the organizations goal. In the welfare of the local people ecotourism conserve the nature of the responsible travelers. In the variate of the tourists is categorized into 7 category which Adventure tourism, Ecotourism, Mass tourism, Nature based, Pro-poor tourism, Responsible tourism and sustainable tourism. Which all of the concepts are improve the welfare of the society and benefits to the local communities and sustainable the target of the needs present tourists.

Source: (Postica & Cardoso , 2014)

An Overview of the Tourism Industry in Kurdistan Region of Iraq.

Kurdistan is one of the safest and most developed cities in Iraq, which is steps to potential tourist industry. There are several reasons are impact the Kurdistan regional government enforcing to driven to the service industry that is draws the hotels, restaurants, hospitals, resorts and nature environments and holy places & temple. In recent years Kurdistan region, which is Erbil, Duhok and Sulaymaniyah rapidly reformed and moved up so fast. The thing which most caused to change the direction to depending source that was only the oil exportation which were not enough to cover the region budgets and lack of the local incomes partially in 2014 Islamic ISIS (Islamic State of Iraq and Syria) war against Peshmerga the Iraqi Kurdistan region military was another losses and lots of expenditure sufferers for the war weapon that was challenge to step out of the future growth. So, the tourism sector was another opportunity to develop in Kurdistan region there are most of possibilities to be attractive season destination for the visitors. Kurdistan rests along a series of mountain ranges and encompasses a significant portion of what has traditionally been called “The land between the rivers” and “The birthplace of civilization” (Abdulkadhim, Tofiq, & Jamel, 2017).

Ecotourism cluster

Cluster of the ecotourism that supply chain of the visitors, communities and tourists to be linked to the nature and environment services arranging them into competitive cluster on their uniqueness and returns by the protected organization. The core of cluster which allow to share the photos and memories of the similar occurring closely that is achievement and captivate the tourists and biodiversity is the specific natural settings, a typical state of which is normally viewed as important and attractive. To be challenge, all service industries are must cooperate by distinguishing the components that make up the destination, starting with the reasons visitors will make a trip to the region, the services available to them and the activities that support the tourist services (Economist Ágnes Fodor, 2006).

Outcomes

The research dedication found the that ecotourism factors to attracting more visitors to come to Kurdistan with different purposes as nature attractivities, historical religion holly places, sport activities and education & specialty treatments which is compromised to return benefits to the society welfares which is increase the individual incomes. The factors of the study according to the outcome of the data analysis shows that less sport activity and political situation are the factors to reduce the tourists desire to visiting Kurdistan.

Moreover, Still Kurdistan needs to develop the tourist sectors interim of re organizing the pricing of the tourist industry to be more unifies the financial expenses and security developments to protecting the tourists who visit Kurdistan facilitating more job opportunity.

Furthermore, the researcher would identify regarding the sustainability of the tourist industry depend the sample size which has been taken for the study research emphasizing the stability of the political situation is more important to attract the visitors and tourists to visit Kurdistan region frequently and providing tourist guidelines & direction in the boarder of Kurdistan to let them knowing the nature, beauty tourist and historical religion address clarify by having several languages.

Overall, the research objectives identify the understanding the type of tourism and factors impact the visitors’ impact on ecotourism in return to the society benefits, classification the differences of the productivity type of tourism industry and Identify the effectiveness relations to captivate the tourists in travel industry.

 

References

Abdulkadhim, D. H., Tofiq, A. M., & Jamel, M. M. (2017). Promoting the Tourism Industry of Kurdistan Region of Iraq (Halabja Province as a Case Study). Journal of Tourism and Hospitality Management, 105.

Economist Ágnes Fodor, V. N.-p. (2006). The Relationship Between Ecotourism Clusters and Innovation Milieu In The Region Of South-Eastern Europe. Hungary: Economist László Sitanyi, South-Transdanubian Regional Development Agency.

Kurdistan 24. (2018, August 20). Kurdistan to attract over 200,000 tourists during Eid: Tourism Board Official. Erbil, Kurdistan, Iraq.

Li, J. (2012). Sustainable Ecotourism Established on Local Communities and Its Assessment System in Costa Rica. Journal of Environmental Protection, 61-62.

Postica , D., & Cardoso , A. (2014). Current Development Level of Ecotourism and Eco-Touristic Products in Moldova . International Journal of Business and Social Science , 86.