Baghdad - INA
Despite the crises in which it lived in the past periods, today Dhi Qar is witnessing its best days, as it has become one of the most important elements of attraction for foreign investors and tourists, whose number during the past days of this month reached more than 160 foreign tourists and 3,000 local tourists, which indicates the stability of its security situation.
The Governor of Dhi Qar Ahmed al-Khafaji told the Iraqi News Agency (INA): "The rise in the number of tourist delegations to the province is an indication of the stability of the security situation in Dhi Qar and Iraq in general," noting that "foreigners and local visitors have begun to be reassured about the security situation in the province and its stability."
Al-Khafaji added, "We have a plan to develop tourism, and we have allocated five billion dinars in the reconstruction plan of Dhi Qar for this year, as well as other projects that are being implemented in Ur outside the framework of the reconstruction fund to add tourist facilities in Ur and the marshes.
While the governor's advisor for investment affairs, Muntaha Ghazi Sahib, told the Iraqi News Agency (INA): "The number of foreign tourists is 160 in the current month so far, and tomorrow 11 new foreign tourists will arrive according to the request submitted by tourist security from a tourism company."
Sahib, who is the rapporteur of the Supreme Executive Committee for the file of the marshes and antiquities in the province, added that "the number of Iraqi tourists from outside the province has reached three thousand for the same period, and the numbers are increasing."
In additiontothat, "In the Supreme Executive Committee of the Marshes and Antiquities in the province, during the tourism season, we focus our attention on tourism and tourists, their interests and needs, and our contact is direct with the tourist security and with the Police Directorate, to overcome obstacles to the movement of foreign tourists or delay it in the checks, and the governor is always there to solve this matters".
In turn, the Director of Dhi Qar Tourism, Asaad Al-Qara Gholi, stated that "the governorate witnessed an increase in the tourism movement, whether internal or external, after it stopped due to the events in the governorate as well as the emergency conditions due to the Corona pandemic."
Al-Qara Ghouli pointed out that "the tourist season in Dhi Qar governorate begins at the beginning of October and ends in mid-April, and the governorate is witnessing an internal tourist movement from Baghdad and other governorates on Fridays and Saturdays to visit the monuments and the marshes."
He noted that "the tourism movement increased after the marshlands and antiquities joined the World Heritage List," adding that "the marshes are witnessing a decline in water levels, and we hope that there will be a serious movement to secure water sources to this important and vital place in the tourism sector."