TEHRAN - The number of foreign visitors arriving in Iran rose 16.75 percent during Noruz (the Iranian new year holidays from March 21-April 4) compared to the same period last year, a senior tourism official has said.

“Our surveys in the first month of the [current Iranian calendar] year 1398 indicate a growth of foreign arrivals in the country, and we have witnessed a 16.75 hike in the number of inbound passengers during the 15-day Noruz compared to the same period last year,” CHTN quoted Vali Teymouri as saying on Thursday. 

The official also pointed to the same figure regarding the fiscal year 1397 saying that seven million and eight thousand foreigners visited Iran during the past Iranian year.

“A total of 7.8 million foreign nationals visited Iran during the past year that shows a 52.5 percent increase year on year. The country hosted 5.1 million travelers in 1396.”

“In addition to the growth in arrivals, we are also witnessing a growth, prosperity and development in the arena of domestic tourism in such a way that during this year’s Noruz, despite rough weather conditions in some provinces, we are witnessing a rise in the number of stays by tourists in different parts of the country.”

Back in April, the official announced that Iranians made over 74 million overnight stays during the two-week Noruz holidays. “On average, 18 million people have traveled throughout Noruz, which shows a six percent year-on-year increase,” he said.

Bound by tradition, hundreds of thousands of domestic trips are made in Iran during the New Year holidays, when schools and most businesses and workplaces are closed. 

AFM/MQ/MG