Iran reports big surge in foreign visitors
Iran’s head of tourism says there has been a surge in foreign tourist arrivals in the 12 months to March 2014.
Masoud Soltanifar said the country recorded a jump of 35% compared to the previous year.
Travelers spend on average $1,500 per person, Soltanifar said, and the 4.5 million foreign tourists that visited the Islamic Republic contributed more than $6 billion in revenue.
Most visitors came from neighboring Gulf states but there was also a dramatic increase in Europeans in 2013-2014.
Soltanifar cited the more moderate policies of President Hassan Rouhani, whose administration has been actively trying to woo foreign tourism amid falling oil revenues due to economic sanctions.
"Tourist trips to Iran are very attractive, important and cheap for foreigners while at the same time the country enjoys a high level of political and security stability," Soltanifar said on state TV.
"Half of the foreign tourists visited the country’s holy cities of Mashhad and Qom and a two-week tourist visa is issued for the nationals of 190 countries at Iranian ports and airports, he added."
TravelMole Editorial Team
Editor for TravelMole North America and Asia pacific regions. Ray is a highly experienced (15+ years) skilled journalist and editor predominantly in travel, hospitality and lifestyle working with a huge number of major market-leading brands. He has also cover in-depth news, interviews and features in general business, finance, tech and geopolitical issues for a select few major news outlets and publishers.
Vegas’s Billion-Dollar Secrets – What They Don’t Want Tourists to Know
Visit Florida’s New CEO Bryan Griffin Shares His Vision for State Tourism with Graham
Chicago’s Tourism Renaissance: Graham Interviews Kristin Reynolds of Choose Chicago
Graham Talks with Cassandra McCauley of MMGY NextFactor About the Latest Industry Research
Destination International’s Andreas Weissenborn: Research, Advocacy, and Destination Impact
Graham and Don Welsh Discuss the Success of Destinations International’s Annual Conference
Graham and CEO Andre Kiwitz on Ventura Travel’s UK Move and Recruitment for the Role
Brett Laiken and Graham Discuss Florida’s Tourism Momentum and Global Appeal
Graham and Elliot Ferguson on Positioning DC as a Cultural and Inclusive Global Destination
Graham Talks to Fraser Last About His England-to-Ireland Trek for Mental Health Awareness
Kathy Nelson Tells Graham About the Honour of Hosting the World Cup and Kansas City’s Future
Graham McKenzie on Sir Richie Richardson’s Dual Passion for Golf and His Homeland, Antigua
ADS PRO 
Qatar Airways offers flexible payment options for European travellers
Airlines suspend Madagascar services following unrest and army revolt
Digital Travel Reporter of the Mirror totally seduced by HotelPlanner AI Travel Agent
Strike action set to cause travel chaos at Brussels airports
All eyes on Qatar as Qatar Airways leads a season of global events