It has some of the finest archaeological sites in the world and some of the holiest places in Islam - but persuading tourists to visit Iraq has to be one of the toughest jobs around.

Hamood Massam al-Yakoubi, the head of the Iraqi Tourism Board, is confident that as the violence begins to recede, the brave and curious may be enticed to the country. “I would like tourists from around the world to visit because there is a lot to see,” he says.

On that score, he is certainly right. Gathering dust in the entrance hall of a Baghdad hotel a guidebook from the 1980s displays pictures of Iraq's attractions, among them the golden dome of the al-Askari shrine, one of the holiest buildings of Shia Islam.

Of Samarra, where the shrine is, the book says: “The artistic, literary, and scientific splendours of the city have remained a legend in Arab history.”

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As about 200 tourism operators, hoteliers and officials convened this week to discuss the once-booming industry, the recent drop in violence was emboldening them to encourage foreigners to return and restore the heyday of Iraqi tourism.

It may not be an impossible mission, but it is a hard one. Three decades of war and terrorism have taken their toll on Iraq's treasures. The al-Askari shrine is being rebuilt after a bomb destroyed it in 2006.

Baghdad Museum was looted after the US-led invasion in 2003, and US troops were accused of harming artefacts when they built a base at the site of Babylon.

The 99ft Arch of Ctesiphon - part of what was once the largest city in the world - was damaged in the Gulf War, and the city of Nineveh, the site of modern Mosul, is in an area too dangerous to explore.

Neshwar al-Joubouri, 32, a Tourist Ministry employee, bemoaned the state of the industry and the damage to historic sites. “We are always saying that we do not have a future but we have a history. Now it feels as though we have no history and no future,” she said.

Amid claims that the security situation is improving, there are stark reminders of the dangers. On Tuesday two suicide bombers left at least 28 Iraqi army recruits dead in a province northeast of Baghdad. Two US soldiers have also been killed this week.

But there are small signs that Mr Yakoubi's plans may one day bear fruit. An international airport is due to open in the holy city of Najaf at the weekend, enabling pilgrims to bypass the more dangerous capital and head straight to the Shia shrines and mosques scattered over the relatively safe destination.

The majority of religious tourists - about 95 per cent - are from Iran but there are a handful of Britons. Mr Yakoubi said: “From the European countries we received around 5,000 tourists this year - groups from Germany, from Ukraine but most of them are from London. They visit as part of religious tourism to the cities' shrines, typically spending three days in Najaf and four days in Karbala.”

Now Mr Yakoubi wants to attract more package tours and independent visitors. Iraq, regarded as the birthplace of civilisation, was a hugely popular holiday destination for visitors from countries such as Japan, France and Germany before Saddam Hussein went to war with Iran in 1980.

“The 1970s was the golden age for tourism in Iraq,” said Hassan alFayath, who worked as a tourist guide at the time and is now spokesman for the Tourism Ministry. “War is never good for tourism ... But I think things will get better.”

He added that the ministry was ready to talk to foreign tour operators interested in establishing a link with Iraq.

Travel advice from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office is not encouraging. Britons are warned against visiting, with the exception of a handful of provinces - and only then if the trip is essential. Guidelines are slightly less strict for the Kurdish north, where violence has been markedly lower.

For the intrepid, however, Iraq is starting to promote itself overseas. The tourism board has held a poster competition, with the three winning entries on display at the tourism fair.

One, featuring the face of an Assyrian statue above various symbols of Iraq, including a palm tree and a mosque, proclaimed in Arabic: “Yes for peace in the country of peace.”

Tourism officials insist that anyone, Muslim or non-Muslim, can apply for a visa at any Iraqi embassy. After a massive drop in business, hotels such as the Sheraton, the Palestine and the Babylon are being rebuilt and refurbished. And there are plenty of rooms available.

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