Soltanifar: Iran experiencing tourism boom

Tehran, May 4, IRNA – Head of the Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism Organization Masood Soltanifar said on Saturday that a tourism boom is going to happen in Iran based on reports released by Iranian and foreign tourism activists and analyses of well-credited foreign publications and tourism experts. Soltanifar, addressing the second seminar on problems facing tourism industry, said Iran now has a meager share of thriving tourism industry in the world. He provided the audience with a report on tourism in the 90s and said facts and figures available show that in 1950, 25 million tourists travelled to various parts of the world, showing a 6.5 percent rise to the figure for 2005. He added that based on official statistics, in 2013, 1.187 billion tourists toured different parts of the world and experts believe the number will rise to more than 1.6 billion by 2020 and 2.6 billion by 2050. The figures released by World Tourism Organization say the trips of 1.187 tourists have earned their countries of their destination more than $1,250 billion. The official said Istanbul, Rome, London, Beijing, Prague, Morocco, Paris, Hanoi, Cambodia and Shanghai were the 10 top tourist hubs in 2013. Though standing among the 10 top countries in terms of historical and cultural attractions and the 17th worldwide in terms of safety, Iran has a meager share in the worldˈs $1250 billion tourism income, Soltanifar said. end