Veep: Flow Of Foreign Tourists To Iran Rising By 200%

Khorramabad, June 19, IRNA – Vice-President and Head of Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism Organiation Massoud Soltanifar announced that the flow of the foreign tourists to Iran has witnessed a 200-percent growth. ˈThe visit of foreign tourists to Iran has witnesses a considerable and outstanding growth over past 8 months,ˈ Soltanifar said. Last week, Singaporean Parliament Speaker Halimah Yacob hailed Isfahanˈs tourism potentials, and said the Central Iranian province can attract millions of tourists every year. ˈSingapore with a population of 3.5 million attracts 8 million of tourists every year and in case of appropriate planning for Isfahan, the city can also have a similar situation,ˈ Yacob said. She pointed to the age-old Iran-Singapore relations, and said, ˈThe two countries have had warm and close relations throughout the many past years.ˈ The Singaporean parliament speaker reiterated that if the people of Singapore become familiarized more with Isfahan they will not hesitate to travel to Iranˈs historical city. Isfahan, historically also rendered in English as Ispahan, Sepahan, Esfahan or Hispahan, is the capital of Isfahan Province in Iran, located about 340 kilometers (211 miles) South of Tehran. It has a population of 1,583,609 and is Iranˈs third largest city after Tehran and Mashhad. The Greater Isfahan Region had a population of 3,793,101 in the 2011 Census, the second most populous metropolitan area in Iran after Tehran./end