Iraqi Travel and Tourism Association calls for independent tourism authority, professional minister

Shafaq News- Baghdad

The Association of Travel and Tourism Agents in Iraq urged Prime Minister-designate Ali Al-Zaidi and members of parliament, ahead of Thursday's cabinet confidence vote, to ensure the tourism portfolio is awarded on merit rather than political quota, partisan loyalty, or nepotism.

In a statement, the association called for separating the Tourism Authority from the Ministry of Culture and establishing it as an independent body with its own administrative and financial autonomy, to be led by a specialist with direct experience in the tourism sector. The move, it argued, is essential to developing the sector's role in supporting the national economy, attracting investment, and creating jobs.

The association also pressed for the appointment of a tourism minister with genuine professional experience in the field, citing the need to develop Iraq's archaeological, religious, and heritage sites as tourist destinations and to raise the standard of services available to travelers and industry workers alike.

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