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The need for direct flights between the United Kingdom and the Kurdistan Region has been pursued by the all-party parliamentary group for over a decade in meetings with British ministers and officials.There are two related aspects to this. The first is ensuring that Erbil International Airport conforms well to international standards on security. The airport has good standards. The second, once that is certified, is for a commercial carrier to start flights in the hope that there is or will be a market.The excellent news that Karwan Jamal Tahir, the KRG High Representative to the UK, recently met representatives of British Airways and that BA seems to open to the idea with a possible start date in the summer of 2020 is of supreme importance.It would make it much easier for people from the UK to visit Kurdistan. I once flew on a weekly charter flight directly to Erbil and it took appreciably less time than the indirect routes, although the return was via Malmo for British security reasons.The process of landing at third countries on the way adds a little time and makes journeys from the UK less attractive and can sometimes in the normal run of things cause considerable delays. I remember being stranded in Istanbul on one occasion for 24 hours because of bad weather delaying our departure in London.It would also help those travelling from North America and European countries who could then link at the Heathrow hub to flights to Erbil.As stability in relations between Erbil and Baghdad increases and, with that, as the economy picks up even further direct flights would provide bigger incentives for British businesses seeking new markets whether the UK leaves the EU or not.It could also help galvanise tourism to the fifth safest city in the world, according to a recent survey, and then to other places in Kurdistan. A small number of British tourists has been going to Kurdistan but they are few and far between.Direct flights would, therefore, be a powerful signal that Kurdistan is open to business and could prompt further positive changes.The first is a better tourism architecture in Kurdistan itself. There are many great sites and sights to see but many Kurds are not fully aware of their potential. I recall a driver having no idea who to get to St Matthews Monastery, for instance, a wonderful church with stunning vistas that should be on the tourist trail in the future.The second is that the prospect of increased Western tourism could encourage better signposting of such treasures and encourage entrepreneurs to think of the services they could provide to visitors.The number of hotels has increased but there is a need for bed and breakfast and other facilities in the countryside, whose beauty and tranquility could become a major draw for a significant sector of tourists. And then there's the skiing. Boosting small businesses could help the diversification of the economy away from its reliance on oil revenues.Tourism has been held back not just by lack of supply of such facilities but by demand. Although the Kurdistan Region has always been safer than the rest of Iraq since its liberation in 2003, it does come with that four letter word, Iraq, that makes many quickly turn away.The last four years have obviously been very difficult since the prestigious award of Arab Capital of Tourism in 2014 was sadly accompanied by a breakdown in relations with Baghdad and by the rise of Daesh and war.But British tourists are expected to heed the travel advice from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO). This currently advises against travel to Erbil province south of Road 80, and within 10km of the border with Nineweh province between Road 80 and Road 2. More widely, the FCO advises against all but essential travel to the rest of Iraq, including the remainder of the Kurdistan Region.This advice means that people cannot use their annual global insurance policies and have to buy separate and more expensive insurance for their visit to Kurdistan. I would never travel without insurance for medical and transport problems and the official travel advice sends a signal that travel is unwise.It would be ideal for the FCO to amend its advice and lift fears that people have of going. I know from discussions on security issues a decade back with the British Ambassador in Baghdad that changing such advice is always difficult given blowback if the worst happens after security is relaxed. British ministers take the job of travel advice recommendations very seriously. Yet, it is manifestly true that Kurdistan is safer and I hope that the FCO can make progress on this as soon as possible.Improving tourist infrastructure, easing fears for intrepid and eventually more casual tourists, and new travel advice are all connected. My hope is that if BA decides to give it a go it can start to unlock all parts of what could be a virtuous circle that will benefit the UK and Kurdistan.Gary Kent is the Secretary of the All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG). He writes this column for Rudaw in a personal capacity. The address for the all-party group is appgkurdistan@gmail.com.The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rudaw.