Tourism in Iraqi Kurdistan saw steady growth in 2012 and 2013, reaching about three million visitors a year. Now because of the financial crisis facing the Iraqi government and the emergence of ISIS, tourism in the region has dropped significantly. In 2017 the number of visitors to popular sites like Mount Korek and the Gali Ali Bag and Jundyan waterfalls declined by 60 per cent

In 1973 President Ahmed Hassan al-Bakr ordered the construction of the Erbil Observatory, an observatory with three telescopes.

In the early 1980s about 400 people were working on behalf of Baresel, Epple, Krupp, Liebher and Zeiss to build 3 telescopes. In late 1983 they ran tests on the small telescope.Although the building site was close to the war zone, people were safe from the Iran military. 400 people from about 10 countries were working here. Each time the crew flew home for winter holidays, the building-site needed to take safety precautions due to heavy snowfalls. Eventually, the war made it impossible to finish the building. The partly-built Observatories were destroyed by the Iranian rockets launched during the Iran–Iraq War.

Mount Korek is a tourist attraction with Darin Group, an Iraqi company has built an approximately 4 kilometer long Doppelmayr Teleferic (cable car) from its Bekhal Bottom station to Mount Korek. The mountain is developed as an international destination. The company has developed 132 villas and several rides in this project which is called "The Korek Mountain Resort & Spa". There are also restaurants and cafes. The resort is a summer retreat providing cool environs when the whole region reels under high temperatures. During winters, it turns into a Ski Resort.

The Resort is one of the top 10 destinations to visit in the Kurdistan region of Iraq.