On Friday, October 11, U.S. Consul General Steve Bitner visited the Rawanduz Gorge – also known as Kurdistan’s Grand Canyon – with Rawanduz Mayor Ahmed Hamadamin.

The U.S. Consulate General in Erbil in a post on X said that Consul General Bitner met with the “Rawanduz Mayor Ahmed Hamadamin and other local officials to discuss opportunities for U.S. support in the development of Iraq’s tourism sector, which creates jobs and strengthens the Kurdistan Region economy.”

Great visit to the Rawanduz Gorge, also known as Iraq’s Grand Canyon, with Rawanduz Mayor Ahmed Hamadamin and other local officials to discuss opportunities for U.S. support in the development of Iraq's tourism sector, which creates jobs and strengthens the IKR economy. pic.twitter.com/g6sdRqR1UM

— U.S. Consulate General Erbil (@USCGERBIL) October 11, 2024

“We will continue to work with our partners in the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) to support the development of Iraq’s tourism sector so that everyone has the opportunity to enjoy its landscape and historical sites. These types of projects create local jobs and strengthen the region’s economic development,” the U.S. Consulate General Erbil also posted on Facebook.

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The city of Rawanduz, located on the top of a mountain, is located 107 kilometers northeast of Erbil. Its name refers to Rawn, a famous poet from the area, and duz, which means “citadel” or “tower.

It is located between two valleys, where a statue of engineer Archibald Hamilton stands in honor of his construction of the famous Hamilton Road in the 1930s.

Tour guides often organize trips along this historic road to Rawanduz, a popular attraction that also provides access to areas favored by mountaineers.

On August 11, the KRG’s Department of Media and Information announced that the Ninth Cabinet has invested $7.5 billion in the tourism sector. The KRG’s General Board of Tourism in 2023 set an ambitious goal of attracting 20 million tourists annually to the Kurdistan Region by 2030.

Read More: KRG Invests $7.5 Billion in Tourism

“The Kurdistan Region is stable and peaceful. Its environment and geography are naturally suited for investment in agriculture, tourism, and industry,” KRG Prime Minister Masrour Barzani said during the launch of “Invest Kurdistan” held in June 2023.

“We have adopted a diversified economic policy, so we support a wide range of investments across all sectors. Our nature and climate also create the best opportunity for tourism investment in the Middle East.”