Iran's revenues from tourism hits $11 billion

Bandar Abbas, IRNA – Minister of Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism said that according to the World Tourism Organization (WTO) statistics, Iran gained $11.7 billion in direct revenue over the last Iranian year (started March 20), and this year it has brought a total revenues of $11billion.

 Ali Asghar Mounesan made the remarks addressing a ceremony in Bandar Abbas on Saturday.

He continued that Iranians' kindness and hospitality, as well as their cultural background, have thwarted the enemy propaganda against Iran and foreign tourists return home with a positive outlook.

"This demonstrates the capacity of tourism to thwart the efforts of the streamers against the country," Minister of Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism noted.

Mounsan added that Iran's tourism potential is high in various sectors and areas such as the southern coast, central desert, nature and geography of the north and west of the country, as well as the rituals and customs of the people.

*** 6.7 million foreign tourists visit Iran in 8 months

On Dec 4, 2019,  Head of the Department of Passports and Visas of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that since the beginning of the current Iranian year (will end March 19, 2020), 6.7 million foreign tourists have entered the country with visas issued for them.

At the inauguration ceremony of the National Conference on Ecotourism, Culture and Tourism Development in Mashad, Mojtaba Karimi stated on Wednesday that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs welcomed the process of facilitating tourist arrivals to the country, thus providing facilitation for issuing visas is on the agenda of the ministry.

He said that negotiations are underway with other countries to lift the visa barriers.

The facilitation of the issuance of visas led to the rise in the number of foreign tourists' arrival to the country (from three million foreign tourists in 2014 to 7.73 foreign tourists at the end of 2018).

He added that the issuance of electronic visas at the foreign ministry has started since 2016 and is now being issued in the shortest time.