TEHRAN – Some six million Iranian nationals are anticipated to visit the neighboring Turkey in 2020, president of Iranian Scientific Ecotourism has said.

Having ranked first among Iranian’s most preferred countries during public holidays and vacation periods, Turkey is expected to welcome more than 6 million Iranian tourists throughout next year, Farid Javaherzadeh, told Anadolu Agency on Monday.

Some experts say that Turkey’s steps toward improving relations with the neighboring country as well as promotional efforts and close attention to visitors have led to an increase in the number of Iranian arrivals.

“Having reached about five million Iranian tourists last year thanks to friendly relations, agreements and convenient holiday opportunities, Turkey is expected to see a continuous increase in the arrivals in the years ahead,” the report said.

Iranian tourists vacationing in Turkey have increased hotel occupancy rates in many cities, particularly in the eastern province of Van, to 100%, while their shopping is a lifeline for tradesmen, Daily Sabah reported.

Mehrdad Naseri, representative of the Raja Railway Transport Company, was cited by the Anadolu Agency as saying that the number of tourists will increase thanks to the resumption of Tehran-Ankara and Tehran-Van train services between Iran and Turkey.

Indicating that they aim to bring 40,000 passengers from Iran to Turkey by rail next year, Naseri said: “We had talks with tourism companies in Van. We talked about taking Iranian tourists to other cities. We will have services to Istanbul. There are many beautiful places and many beautiful cities in Turkey. We will bring as many passengers to Turkey as we can in the coming period.”

Located near the Iranian border, Van is a tourist attraction for its natural wonders and historic monuments. Over the years, it has become a top destination for Iranian tourists, especially during the Iranian national holidays.

AFM/MG