“The visit of foreign nationals and tourists to Iran has increased by 56 percent comparing to the same period last year,” Leyla Azhdari told ISNA on Saturday.
The official said Iraq is the top source of tourists coming to Iran, with over 2.2 million Iraqi citizens traveling to Iran in this period.
Azerbaijan and Afghanistan hold the second and third ranks, with 1.3 million and 0.7 million visitors, she added.
More US Tourists in Iran
Azhdari noted the number of European visitors visiting Iran has decreased compared to last year, but the number of American tourists has increased.
“In this period, 1980 US tourists visited Iran, which means an 82% growth,” she underlined.
The slide in Europeans’ visit to Iran comes despite efforts by Iran to relax the process of obtaining visas.
Late last year, Iran announced it will not stamp visas on the passports of European visitors, as it might complicate obtaining US visas in the future.
Iran is home to plenty of historical landmarks and enjoys a rich culture, but its tourism sector remains relatively underdeveloped.
Officials believe tourism may worth a lot to the economy via creating jobs and boosting economic growth in the country.
