Fadel Al-Badrani, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Culture, Tourism, and Antiquities, said Monday that approximately 10 million tourists entered Iraq in 2025, engaging in both heritage and religious tourism.

Al-Badrani said official statistics on visitors entering Iraq are recorded by the National Center, the Ministry of Interior, border crossings, and airports, with the data subsequently forwarded to the Tourism Authority and the Ministry of Culture, Tourism, and Antiquities.

He noted that tourism activity in 2026 has been sluggish both globally and across the region due to security conditions and challenges facing the country. In contrast, he described 2025 as a positive year for Iraq's tourism sector, when approximately 10 million tourists entered the country, split between heritage and religious tourism.

Al-Badrani emphasized that the figure represents a significant increase compared with previous years.