For better protecting the touristic resorts and attraction in the Iraqi Kurdistan region, the government is preparing to from the first unit of tourism police.

Spokesperson for General Tourism Board of Kurdistan Nader Rosti told AKnews that the Interior Ministry has officially agreed to the demand to form the unit and now the demand is subject to the final approval of the Council of Ministers.

Over 1,500 policemen will be hired this year to protect the sites. The force will be under the command of the Tourism Board and Interior Ministry.

The unit will be trained according to the international standards so that they learn how to protect the sites without distracting or harassing the visitors, Rosti added.

Kurdistan is rich in touristic attractions. Year by year the tourists' influx into the semi-autonomous region in northern Iraq increases.  In the past four years over 1,700,000 tourists paid visit to Kurdish. The Tourism Board is striving to increase the number to four million visitors by 2015.