TEHRAN – The Iranian government has estimated foreign tourist arrivals will reach six million by the end of the current year (March 19, 2024).

“With the [steady] increase in the arrival of foreign tourists, it is expected the number of international arrivals reach about 6 million by the end of the year,” Mehr quoted the deputy tourism minister Ali-Asghar Shalbafian as saying on Tuesday.

The official noted that the ministry has devoted a great deal of effort to help facilitate arrivals in the country.

To foster tourism, the Islamic Republic is considering a border-easing policy based on which it may unilaterally drop visa requirements for passport holders of 60 states, he said. “We seek to abolish visa requirements with 60 countries…,” the official said.

“Moreover, we have simplified overland journeys for tourists from neighboring countries who are willing to visit Iran in their private cars.”

According to available data, Iran's tourism had constantly been growing before the COVID-19 pandemic, reaching more than eight million visitors in the Iranian calendar year 1398 (started March 21, 2019).

Although the country’s performance as a tourism destination is still far below that of 2019, which was before the start of the pandemic, it is improving slightly compared to last year's statistics.

Based on the latest United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) World Tourism Barometer, foreign tourist arrivals in Iran reached some 2.93 million between January and July 2023.

The average statistics of Iran’s tourism from January to August 2023 is 50% lower than the same period in 2019 based on the barometer that tracks the sector’s post-pandemic recovery throughout 2023 up to the end of July.

Another statistic compiled by Iran’s tourism ministry indicates the country saw 3.35 million tourist arrivals in the first half of the current Iranian calendar year (started March 21), which soars 38 percent year on year.

The Islamic Republic expects to reap a bonanza from its numerous tourist spots such as bazaars, museums, mosques, bridges, bathhouses, madrasas, mausoleums, churches, towers, and mansions, of which 27 are inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage list.

AFM