Erbil, Friday (May 8, 2026)
In recent days, Assis. Prof. Dr. Jawad Kazem Al-Najjar delivered a scientific seminar entitled “The Impact of Folk Art on Cultural Tourism in Iraq: An Applied Study in the Field of Art and Art Education,” highlighting the role of folk art in attracting tourists and strengthening the cultural identity of Iraq.
The seminar pointed out that despite Iraq’s rich heritage of folk art and handicrafts, there remains a lack of deep understanding and sufficient research on the influence of these arts on the tourism sector.
The seminar addressed several main themes:
Folk Art and Visual Arts:
The use of symbols and visual elements of folk art in the works of contemporary visual artists.
Art Education:
The role of art education departments and colleges in designing programs and interactive artistic workshops for tourists.
Cultural Tourism:
The level of tourist satisfaction with cultural experiences that combine folk art and educational activities.
At the conclusion, several key findings were presented, most notably the weak systematic integration of folk art into tourism-oriented artistic productions and the limited institutional role of art education in this field. The seminar also emphasized the importance of developing new strategies to promote cultural tourism in Iraq.
