Nimrud Youkhana was trained as a computer
engineer and, as head of the Assyrian Patriotic Party, became
Kurdistan's minister of tourism last May. He sat down for a Q&A
last month in Erbil, capital of Iraq's Kurdistan region, with
Travel Weekly's Editor in Chief Arnie Weissmann.
Q:
How many international visitors has Kurdistan received in the past
year?
A:
I really don't know. There are no statistics. We'll start
now.
Q:
How large is your staff?
A:
I don't know exactly. Between 1,000 and 1,500, I think.
Q:
What have you and your staff done since you've been in
office?
A:
Media is important, and we have started to publish brochures, maps
and posters and have attended exhibitions. We're making contacts
for investments and have signed a preliminary agreement with
[German developers] to build an amusement park. I also want to
build a zoo. Not just put a lion in a cage, but something up to
European standards.
I'm also thinking
of starting something, a tourism development plan. We will have a
study.
Q:
How would you describe changes over the past few years in Kurdistan
that might affect tourism?
A:
A big change is that there are no government hotels. Everything has
been transferred to the private sector. We're establishing criteria
for hotels, a star rating system.
We're also signing
contracts with people who want to invest. We're leasing land for
development for a term of 25 years, for people to build on. But to
compete with our neighbors in the region, we need help from
Europeans.
Q:
But even so, can you really attract people to a country that's
associated primarily with a live war?
A:
This is one of the main points. We will solve it by using the media
to show that things are different than in Bagdad. The political
situation here is stable and has been for 15 years. We hope
everyone can understand this.
Q:
Has there been any international investment in travel and
tourism?
A:
No. Many visitors, many delegations, many discussions, but no, not
yet. But a local company is building a five-star hotel.
Q:
I heard a rumor that Hilton will be managing a hotel here. Would
that be the one?
A:
I don't know. If that's true, it hasn't come through my
ministry.
Q:
Someone also mentioned to me that Starwood will be coming in
here.
A:
What's Starwood?
Q:
How were you chosen to be tourism minister?
A:
Christians got three ministries: Finance, Tourism and Minister of
Region. They gave tourism to Christians because, for foreigners, it
was better.
Q:
Have you hired any tourism professionals to assist you?
A:
Not yet. We hope the Austrians will help us build tourism
structures, even big structures such as resorts.
Q:
Does it bother you that the U.S. State Department has issued a
warning saying explicitly that Americans should not go anywhere in
Iraq?
A:
Kurdistan is OK to visit. I've asked the prime minister if I could
go to the U.S. in March; it depends on whether I can get a visa. I
want to go to the Iraqi community there, especially the Assyrian
community, which is in Michigan and Chicago, to explain the
situation here, our investment law and how we as Christians are
respected and living well with the others.
We'll start with
Iraqis there, then meet with Americans who are not
Iraqi.
Q:
If a visitor were to have 10 days to visit Kurdistan, what is there
to do?
A:
Plan two days in Erbil to see the city, and you can take an
excursion to see Dokan Dam, about three hours away.
Then go to Dohuk
(province). Go via Barzan, and you'll see some nice places on the
way, including the grave of Mulla Mustafa.
Continue through
Amedia and Sersink It'll take about five
hours, with stops.
Plan two days in
Dohuk. You can take day trips from there to see the (Turkish)
border town of Zakho and to follow the border east to Barwary Bala,
passing Assyrian and Kurdish villages.
From Dohuk, you can
also visit Lalish, where the Yezidi live; they're not Christians,
not Muslims, but have their own religion. Sulimaniya is another
province in Kurdistan. I've never been there; I need to
go.
And you can also
reach Kirkuk in two days.
Q:
What about safety and security?
A:
We can take you to any point in Kurdistan; it's all
safe.
Q:
Even for Americans?
A:
Yes, of course.
Q:
Even Kirkuk?
A:
Kirkuk is not so safe.
To contact
editor in chief Arnie Weissmann, send e-mail to [email protected].