The course provides an overview of the discipline of International Political Economy (IPE) applied to the analysis of tourism, as well as to practical case studies of the travel industry. The course enables students to analyze the impact of global tourism practices on local communities and within States at large, focusing on the intertwined nature of economic, social and cultural relations within travel destinations. A substantial portion of the course is reserved to explore particular cases and applications of Tourism IPE in the context of KRG/Iraq and neighboring areas in the Middle East, dedicating attention to religious and cultural minorities, sustainable tourism practices and the relation between political and economic decisions in the development of the region’s touristic potential.