ERBIL, Iraq — Perception is not always reality with emerging business travel destinations. That’s especially true for Erbil, the political and business capital of the autonomous Kurdish region in the north of Iraq. The city is becoming an alternative to Iraq’s southern provinces to tap into the country’s oil wealth and other business opportunities.
The city has endured violence at times, most recently bombings on Sept. 29 in front of the regional Kurdish government’s security service that killed at least six people and wounded dozens. Al Qaeda later claimed responsibility for the attacks. They were seen by some as an outgrowth of the conflict in Syria, where Kurdish militias have been fighting groups linked to Al Qaeda.
It was the first significant bombing since 2007 in Erbil, which has mostly avoided the violence that has plagued the rest of the country. Thanks in part to the stability, the Kurdish economy has grown at about 10 percent annually in recent years.
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