Southern Iraq village nominated for UN Best Tourism Villages initiative
Shafaq News – Dhi Qar
Iraq’s Ministry of Culture said on Friday that the local government in Dhi Qar province has begun procedures to nominate the village of Abu Subat in the al-Chibayish marshes, for the UN World Tourism Organization’s “Best Tourism Villages” initiative.
Launched in 2021, the program aims to promote tourism as a means of supporting rural development and improving the well-being of local communities.
Assad Hussein al-Qaraghuli, head of the tourism department in Dhi Qar, said a local committee has been formed in coordination with a central committee in Baghdad to prepare the nomination file. The requirements include environmental, service, and security standards to qualify the village for international tourism.
He said Abu Subat is the only village nominated from southern Iraq in this round, alongside candidates from central and northern regions, including the al-Delmaj marshes, Karbala, and parts of the Kurdistan Region.
Since its launch, the UN initiative has recognized more than 70 villages in about 40 countries with the “Best Tourism Villages” label, while another 40 have been included in an upgrade program that provides technical guidance, international networking, and development support.
Abu Subat lies about 90 kilometers east of the provincial capital, Nasiriyah, and is known for its biodiversity and cultural traditions shaped by the marshland environment.
The southern marshes of Iraq, designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2016, are considered one of the world’s most significant wetland ecosystems. They have supported local communities through fishing, buffalo herding, and reed-based handicrafts, and are recognized as part of Iraq’s cultural and ecological heritage.
