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ERBIL, Kurdistan Region—Prime Minister of the Kurdistan Region Nechirvan Barzani said in a speech at the Middle East Tourism Fair in Erbil on Thursday that his government is doing its best to boost the private sector and promote tourism, especially since the “region is heading into the recovery stage,”“The Kurdistan Regional Government considers tourism a job creator, revenue generator and something that links cultures and brings people together.” Barzani said, thanking tourist companies from 14 countries as well as Kurdish and Iraqi companies for arranging the fair.“Kurdistan’s beautiful nature, mountains, rivers and ancient sites, tolerance, openness and hospitality and its different seasons are basis for and encourage of tourism.” PM Barzani said. “We have the chance to make this an international tourist destination.”The Kurdish Prime Minister said an event like the Middle East Tourism Fair “at this particular time means the return of confidence to Kurdistan’s tourism market and its recovery. It shows the steps the KRG took to improve the situation have borne fruit.”Barzani said that his government has friendly laws and incentives for foreign and local investment in the tourism sector and he invited all to head to the region and participate in building its private sector in all fields, tourism in particular.“The situation has not allowed to take advantage of these chances and qualities, but we promise to do what we can to make tourism a major characteristic of Kurdistan,” he vowed. “Part of our reform is promoting our tourism sector.”A similar conference last year, said the Prime Minister, led to a major rise in the number of tourists.“The number of tourists rose from 782,000 in 2015 to 1.6 million in 2016 as a result of our plans,” Barzani said.PM Barzani said that the private sector could play an essential role in building a robust tourism sector.“We reemphasize that the KRG will do its best to help the private sector and have them invest here,” he said. “I invite all local and foreign investors here to take advantage of our laws and offers and invest in this sector.”“We are in Kurdistan going into the recovery phase, the phase of tourism and industry and we plan to make these sectors replace oil and gas.”