Pack your bags for Baghdad? Iraq looks to tourism by Paulina Neshybova

Iraq´s governemnt is trying to advertise tourism. It is really surprising that iraq´s officials are doing it, as this country has been over the past two decades no-go zone for almost everyone. In 1990 country could not be entered because of sanctions for hussein´s attack on Kuwait and then in 2003 Iraq caught the dictator and there were marks of violnece everywhere. As the violnece is declining during the last year, the government is promoting tourms.
Of course the tourism is mainly for pilgrims who are special kind of visitors. They go mainly to the holy cities of Najaf and Karbala, where thy expect to have doubled the number of visitors that should come this year. They do net represent any danger or harassment and they are informed about the possible difficulties they might face.
However, if iraq wold be a peaceful place, visitors would have many places to visit there. For example the National Museum, wchich has been closed for public, contains many relics. Another place is the ancient city od Babylon where were located the Hanging Gardens or the city of Ur, whichc was in the past a capital of Sumerian civilization adn also the home of Abraham, the prophet.
However, all these places are still roaring with emptyness. The biggest concern of Iraq is safety and therefore they will need a few risk-takers who would invest the new hotels or upgrade the old one. But no mater what, Iraq still stays the most undiserable place to visit becuase of its turbulent and extreme domestic situation. And any tourist who came there was feeling the potencial for danger although the situation in Baghdad and other cities is much calmer.


related story: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080722/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iraq_tough_sell;_ylt=AhtTWUdcplXYo8eD3byNTXes0NUE

by Paulina Neshybova for PocketNews (http://pocketnews.tv)

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posted by Lucia Adamova