Domestic Tourism and Impact on Post-Pandemic Tourism in Iraq: The Example of Agro-Tourism

Abstract

      As Covid-19 hit the globe, most countries have been affected by this pandemic, one which has paralyzed various sectors of life, including tourism. With borders locked, travel restricted, and flights halted, hotels, resorts, and many other tourist destinations have been relocated, many jobs were cut, and many businesses faced risks. This caused a wide-scale social impact, many businesses and employers have, therefore, searched for alternative activities, and this has been driven by the critical conditions caused by the pandemic. In order to create jobs and compensate for the jobs lost due to the pandemic and social distancing, alternatives have surfaced and initiatives have been developed. These alternatives included new businesses and initiatives in order to drive the economy, create jobs, and maintain development. Of these newly-emerging businesses was agro-tourism or the tourism of agricultural practices, activities, and businesses. In the post-pandemic Iraqi economy, many growers and farmers across several Iraqi provinces and cities have come up with the idea of leasing, renting, and offering agricultural areas and lands. This paper, thus, focuses on this innovative sort of tourism as manifested in Iraq’s Salahuddin province, where some land growers and farmers rent limited areas for tourists and many rest-seekers so they can spend time, camp, eat out, and stay in return for certain costs. To do so, the study surveyed 75 Salahuddin-based farmers who were actively engaged in tourism-limited agro-tourism activities throughout the 2021 summer season. The study finds that domestic tourism can boost economic development and support tourism, and the study, further, recommends that more state-initiated measures should be taken to improve such tourism activities.