Iran Among Top 10 Tourist Destinations: Director

Tehran, Sept 29, IRNA - Iran is one of the top 10 attractive countries for tourists, Iranian Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts, and Tourism Organization (CHTHO) Director Masoud Soltanifar said on Monday. He made the remarks in an interview with the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting, channel 2. However, Soltanifar noted that Iran ranks 55th globally in terms of tourism income. He stressed that CHTHO will do its best to facilitate foreign and domestic investment in Iran's tourism sector. Soltanifar also said that 4.5 million tourists visited Iran last year, half of whom visited the country's pilgrimage cities, mainly, Mashhad and Qom. He added that during the six months of the current Iranian year (began on March 20, 2014), the number of foreign tourists visiting Iran increased 35% compared with the same period the previous year. President Hassan Rouhani’s administration has opened the doors to tourists and Iran is becoming a top 2014 tourism destination. With its ancient monuments, glittering mosques and spectacular landscapes, Iran is home to some of the world's cultural treasures. The new administration of Rouhani is taking steps to open up Iran to foreigners in an effort to bring in much-needed foreign currency to an economy reeling from years of sanctions.