The decision is deemed to facilitate travels to the country without fear of possible U.S. penalties as last year Washington announced those travelers who would visit certain countries including Iran would face restrictions to enter the U.S.

Last November, the Islamic Republic started a pilot project in a select of its airports, issuing electronic visas — without any entry or exit stamps — for those traveling to the country, in a bid to facilitate tourist inflow and to cope with sanctions recently reimposed by the U.S.

Iran welcomed some 7.8 million foreign nationals last year, which shows a 52.5 percent increase year on year. The ultimate goal of the Islamic Republic is to attract 20 million foreign tourists annually by 2025.

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Outbound passengers added up to 7 million during the past year, which is lessen from a year earlier, the official said.

“Some ten million Iranians traveled oversees in 1396,” Teymouri said as he cited financial strains among reasons behind.

Earlier this month, the official said that U.S.-led sanctions, targeting Iran’s economy, has failed to lessen foreign arrivals to the Islamic Republic, adding “Decrease in Iran national currency value has made Iran tour packages more competitive.”

The 2019 Travel Risk Map, which shows the risk level around the world, puts Iran among countries with “insignificant risk”, a category where the UK, Denmark, Switzerland, Norway, and Finland are placed in.

The country boasts hundreds of historical sites such as bazaars, museums, mosques, bridges, bathhouses, madrasas, mausoleums, churches, towers, and mansions, of which 22 being inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage list.

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Latest data shows more than seven million holidaymakers toured Iran during the first eleven months of the year, which is seen as a remarkable rise from the same period last year.

The country is also a growing destination for health and medical tourists from Iraq, Azerbaijan, Afghanistan, the U.S., European countries and the Persian Gulf littoral states. According to official statistics, the country hosted some 400,000 medical tourists during the past Iranian year 1396 (ended March 20).

Official data shows medical tourist arrivals nearly doubled in the first three months of the year, corresponding to spring 2018, from a year earlier.

Experts say that U.S.-led sanctions together with its anti-Iran propaganda campaign has lessened Western travelers to the Islamic Republic but the country is doing its best to attract more visitors from neighbors.

For instance, more than 2.2 million Iraqis visited Iran during the first nine months of the current Iranian year, which shows 113 percent year-on-year increase, turning the neighboring country into Iran’s largest source of tourists.

Contrary to Americans, European arrivals in Iran has decreased. Some 1,980 U.S. citizens visited Iran during the nine-month period, which demonstrates 82 percent year-on-year growth, based on data compiled by the CHHTO.

However, the situation is totally different when it comes to outbound travels. Iran’s outbound tourism fell by 30 percent in the current Iranian year as, according to official data, it fell by 30 percent during the nine-month period (started March 21, 2018) from a year earlier.

A total of 5,900,381 Iranians traveled overseas during the aforementioned period, as the figure stood at 8,483,317 a year earlier.

The main reason behind the decline is deemed to be the sharp rise in the value of foreign currencies against rial that has pushed up the costs of traveling abroad.

The 2019 Travel Risk Map, which shows the risk level around the world, puts Iran among countries with “insignificant risk”, a category where the UK, Denmark, Switzerland, Norway, and Finland are placed in.

Iran embraces hundreds of historical sites such as bazaars, museums, mosques, bridges, bathhouses, madrasas, mausoleums, churches, towers, and mansions, of which 22 being inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage list.

The post Solid growth: A review of Iran’s tourism in 1397 appeared first on Iran News Daily.

Mohammad Moheb-Khodai made the remarks in Zanjan on Thursday during the closing ceremony of the 4th Intl. ECO-Silk Road Food Festival, ISNA reported.

“Holding such festivals will help us to take a large step in attracting foreign travelers.”

The official had earlier announced that some 5.2 million foreign nationals visited the country in 1396.

Iran’s brilliant goal is to lure 20 million foreign travelers annually by 2025.

PHOTO: CHHTO Deputy Director Mohammad Moheb-Khodai in an undated photo

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