More than 400,000 European tourists have visited Iraq since the beginning of this year, the Iraqi Minister of Culture and Tourism said
European tourist arrivals in Iraq have increased compared to neighboring countries.

The semi-official Sabah newspaper reported Sunday, March 17, 2024, that "More than 400,000 European tourists have visited Iraq since the beginning of this year," Iraqi Culture and Tourism Minister Ahmad Fakak Badrani said.

"European tourists from neighboring countries such as Iran, Syria, and Lebanon are not considered as tourists and are not recorded in the statistics," he said.

The minister said the Iraqi government has facilitated the development of the tourism sector by reducing and eliminating restrictions on tourist arrivals.

According to statistics, more than four million foreign visitors visit Iraq's holy sites annually, and thousands of tourists from Asia visit Iraq to see the country's monuments, which number about 15,000 areas.