Number of Foreign Tourists Visiting Iran Rising: Minister


TEHRAN (Tasnim) – The number of foreign tourists who have visited Iran in the first half of the current Iranian year has increased by 26 percent compared to last year’s figure, the Minister of Cultural Heritage and Tourism said.

In comments after a cabinet session on Wednesday, Ali Asghar Mounesan said nearly 5 million foreign tourists visited Iran in the first half of the current Iranian year (March 21- September 22).

Statistics show that the number of foreign travelers in the 6-month period has risen by about 26 percent in comparison to the corresponding period a year before, he added.

Mounesan also said that the total number of foreign travelers is expected to hit 10 million by the year end (March 20, 2020), an achievement made in spite of the conditions threatening the tourism industry in Iran.

Last month, Mounesan said an upward trend in the tourism industry occurred after Iran diversified its travel and tourism services by supporting medical tourism, agritourism, and hiking tourism.

He also noted that Iran was devising a grand plan to promote the tourism industry under the auspices of the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNTWO) and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).