TEHRAN – Over six million foreign nationals visited Iran during the first nine months of the current Iranian calendar year (started March 21, 2018), a remarkable rise from the same period last year, tourism chief has said.

 “More than six million foreign travelers arrived in the country during the first nine months of the year,” Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism Organization Director Ali-Asghar Mounesan said Saturday, CHTN reported.

The official, however, didn’t mention a figure for the year-on-year growth.

Based on previous CHHTO statistics, Iran hosted over five million foreign nationals during the first eight months of the year, up 57 percent year on year.

Iran has launched extensive plans to bolster its tourism sector. Under the 2025 Tourism Vision Plan, the country is expecting to increase the number of tourism arrivals from 4.8 million in 2014 to 20 million.

AFM/MQ/MG