TEHRAN—Iran is to lift visa requirements for travelers from Iraq’s Kurdistan Region, allowing them to spend one month in the Islamic Republic without a visa.

“Citizens of the Kurdistan Region can travel to Iran without a visa as of tomorrow (Sunday),” ISNA quoted an official in charge of Kurdistan Regional Relations with Iran as saying on Saturday.

The official described this decision as “an important step” for the two nations, the report said.

Earlier this year and to deepen tourism ties, travel insiders and tour operators from Iraqi Kurdistan attended several meetings with their Iranian counterparts.

According to available data, citizens from Iraq and Afghanistan were the main source of tourism for Iran from October 23 to December 22, 2021. Over the past couple of years, neighboring Iraq has been one of Iran’s most important markets for tourism and pilgrimage.

Iran’s trump card is that the country benefits from a wide variety of travel destinations ranging from seacoasts and lush green woods to towering mountains and harsh deserts. As a wallet-friendly destination with hospitable people, Iran has long been a desired destination for nature lovers, birdwatchers, powder chasers, culture devotees, pilgrims, museum-goers, foodies, adventurers, and medical travelers, to name a few.

Moreover, Iran’s tourism sector has a great reliance on its numerous tourist spots, of which 26 are UNESCO World Heritage, and above all, its welcoming people.

AM