Iraq Open's up To Tourism

I couldn't believe it when i read this article, i dont think il be booking anytime soon.

They want to build a ferris wheel bigger than the london eye, plus open up other tourist activity's.

BAGHDAD (AP) — Iraq is calling on companies to submit designs to build a giant Ferris wheel in Baghdad — the latest in a string of lavish proposals painting the capital as a leisure friendly city.

leisure friendly city

The Ferris wheel, dubbed the Baghdad Eye, will soar more than 650 feet over the city and feature air-conditioned compartments that would each carry up to 30 passengers, Adel al-Ardawi, a media official with Baghdad's municipality, said Wednesday.

"We hope to attract a great number of customers who will be able to see the whole city and enjoy the restaurants and pools on ground below," al-Ardawi added.

Could things be really calming down now??

Now that insurgent attacks and sectarian bloodshed have declined over the past year, Iraqis are venturing outside their homes.

Families are often seen relaxing at night in parks and children flock to pools. On Monday, tens of thousands of football fans cheered on their club in a Baghdad stadium — the largest sports crowd the city has seen since the 2003 U.S.-led invasion.

Officials are also using the downturn in violence to begin promoting tourism — a tough sell in a country where infrastructure is weak and bombings still occur on a daily basis.

American businessman Robert Kelley announced plans last month to build a luxury hotel in Baghdad's Green Zone, which houses Iraqi government offices and the U.S. military and diplomatic facilities.

Iraq's Tourism Board also is seeking investors to develop a "romantic" island on the Tigris River in Baghdad that was once a popular honeymoon spot for newlywed Iraqis, the U.S. military announced this week.

The project would include a six-star hotel and spa, an 18-hole golf course and a country club, the military said in a press release.

I love this last bit.

"The city of Baghdad has a depth of history and a cultural legacy that, when applied to the development, can be a basis for attracting and fostering tourism," said the release, which did not mention the war.

Can tourism work in Iraq now?

I dont think so.

Source.


[edit on 27-8-2008 by Denied]

But...but...I thought Iraq was a shambles. I thought the American military presence was a complete and utter failure. I thought thousands of civilians were dying daily at the hands of terrorists and the evil American soldiers. Could this be true?

Now just who do you think will finance this boondoggle?
Who do you think the contractor will be for Disney in the Desert?

I find it ironic that Baghdad has no running water, limited electricity, no sewers or operating treatment plants but are starting to talk about tourism.

Sound like spin to you?? naaaahhhhh.....

Bend over American taxpayer, we're not quite thru with you yet....

well, after the Nazis were defeated in WW2, there was a nazi insurgency that lasted for like 10years before it finally died off

when you put it into the context of history, it makes sense

people get so used to the way things are , that they just go about their daily lives and things calm down eventually

btw, poster above me, care to prove your claims that theres no running water /sewage /electricity ? i seriously doubt your claims, but maybe im wrong

all i need is a little evidence

btw..how do people live if theres no water to drink? and how do they get on the internet and post on forums with no electricity?

what do they all drink bottled water, pour their body waste on the curb, and use battery powered laptops with satilite internet uplinks? lol

Originally posted by whaaa
Now just who do you think will finance this boondoggle?
Who do you think the contractor will be for Disney in the Desert?

I find it ironic that Baghdad has no running water, limited electricity, no sewers or operating treatment plants but are starting to talk about tourism.

Sound like spin to you?? naaaahhhhh.....

Bend over American taxpayer, we're not quite thru with you yet....

Yes for sure, as i was typing out the original post i was thinking, where do you think all the investment is coming from, and who's making the money, also this must be some ploy from the US government to portray that things are improving.

Disneyland Baghdad is opening next year?

I wish the US didn't force their companies on the country they illegally invaded.

Yeah, I'm going to have to say "no thank you" to that trip, even if it were free and all my meals were paid for.

reply to post by muzzleflash



here.....

www.cfr.org...
www.spiegel.de...




[edit on 27-8-2008 by whaaa]

Originally posted by whaaa

here.....

www.cfr.org...

Is this still true, the article in 2 years old

[edit on 27-8-2008 by Denied]

reply to post by Denied


Read my edit above... more current

and this....blogs.wsj.com...

and this interesting little tidbit.....
www.alternet.org...

It's gonna be a long damn time till Iraq see's any tourista's.

Can't you see the pro western spin on this?

[edit on 27-8-2008 by whaaa]

How many tourist areas smell like this.....



www.inthesetimes.com...

Originally posted by whaaa


I find it ironic that Baghdad has no running water, limited electricity, no sewers or operating treatment plants but are starting to talk about tourism.

That didn't stop China from spending billions on the Olympics...which were a huge success. The government threw peasants off the land, diverted water from crop irrigation, hogged all the electricity, and banned half the cars from the road. Yet people came, saw, enjoyed, and ignored the suffering the Olympics caused for millions.

Countries like Mexico, Cuba, Egypt, most of the Caribbean, not to mention others thrive on this sort of tourism. Stranger things have happened than an amusement park or resort in a city whose populace lacks the most basic resources.

Looking for a little comedy and wondering if any one could come up with some good names for some of the rides and entertainment for Disney Iraq.

p.s. I purchased Iraq currency in hopes that their economy will get very strong in the future.

Originally posted by sc2099


Countries like Mexico, Cuba, Egypt, most of the Caribbean, not to mention others thrive on this sort of tourism. Stranger things have happened than an amusement park or resort in a city whose populace lacks the most basic resources.

I see what you mean sc2099, but Mexico, Cuba, Caribbean have beaches and Egypt has the pyramids. What would draw a tourist to Iraq? Sniper fire, Abu Grab, a big amusement park ride. And now that Iraq is Muslim; you couldn't even get a cold one. Vacation in a Muslim country.....

Originally posted by SailorinAZ
Looking for a little comedy and wondering if any one could come up with some good names for some of the rides and entertainment for Disney Iraq.

Here's a few....

"Out of the Green Zone"

"IED scurry"

"Water Board"

"Mustaffa's House of Puke"

"Pray or Die"

"Refugee Race"


[edit on 28-8-2008 by whaaa]

Tour de Baghdad on a open top bus should be fun. Stop off at the Green zone for a cup of tea and a little firework show. Then retire to Abu Ghraib for bed and breakfast Once you've finished eating your scrambled brains on toast, time too go to the Euphrates river for a spot of fishing.

Paradise, wish you were here.

reply to post by SailorinAZ


Alibaba and the 40 terrorists thrill ride?

it's a small world after all

Originally posted by sc2099

Countries like Mexico, Cuba, Egypt, most of the Caribbean, not to mention others thrive on this sort of tourism. Stranger things have happened than an amusement park or resort in a city whose populace lacks the most basic resources.

Perhaps you should pick up a brochure or two...I'm taking a pass on Iraq and going to Cuba. It's a mite more civilized than you seem to think.

Even if you're not allowed to go there...

Thought id look into this more.

'Disneyland' comes to Baghdad with multi-million pound entertainment park

Mr Werner, chairman of C3, a Los Angeles-based holding company for private equity firms, is pouring millions of dollars into developing the Baghdad Zoo and Entertainment Experience, a massive American-style amusement park that will feature a skateboard park, rides, a concert theatre and a museum. It is being designed by the firm that developed Disneyland. “The people need this kind of positive influence. It’s going to have a huge psychological impact,” Mr Werner said.

The project will cost $500 million (£250 million) and will be managed by Iraqis. Under the terms of the lease, Mr Werner will retain exclusive rights to housing and hotel developments, which he says will be both culturally sensitive and enormously profitable. “I wouldn’t be doing this if I wasn’t making money,” he said. “I also have this wonderful sense that we’re doing the right thing – we’re going to employ thousands of Iraqis. But mostly everything here is for profit.”

Source.

Well at least he's honest.

Originally posted by whaaa

Originally posted by sc2099


Countries like Mexico, Cuba, Egypt, most of the Caribbean, not to mention others thrive on this sort of tourism. Stranger things have happened than an amusement park or resort in a city whose populace lacks the most basic resources.

I see what you mean sc2099, but Mexico, Cuba, Caribbean have beaches and Egypt has the pyramids. What would draw a tourist to Iraq? Sniper fire, Abu Grab, a big amusement park ride. And now that Iraq is Muslim; you couldn't even get a cold one. Vacation in a Muslim country.....

For people who are interested in history Iraq is a goldmine. The archaeological sites aren't as famous as the pyramids, but just as important if not moreso to history. Also, the Maldives are strictly Muslim and there is no alcohol allowed or sold on any of the islands. However tourism basically is the economy due to the fantastic scuba diving and glorious beaches.

I'm not trying to be argumentative. I'm just saying that with proper security, I don't think an all inclusive resort would be any worse than the places mentioned.

@Canuck: Unless everything I leanred in University and from common sense was completely wrong, the average Cuban is pretty poor. I never said they were uncivilized. On the contrary, from what I gather they're as nice as the people from anywhere else on the planet. What I said was they lack basic resources. What good is socialized healthcare when you have to wait in line for your ration of beans and rice? For Heaven's sake, food has been rationed there since 1962.