Iran’s head of tourism says there has been a surge in foreign tourist arrivals in the 12 months to March 2014.
Masoud Soltanifar said the country recorded a jump of 35% compared to the previous year.
Travelers spend on average $1,500 per person, Soltanifar said, and the 4.5 million foreign tourists that visited the Islamic Republic contributed more than $6 billion in revenue.
Most visitors came from neighboring Gulf states but there was also a dramatic increase in Europeans in 2013-2014.
Soltanifar cited the more moderate policies of President Hassan Rouhani, whose administration has been actively trying to woo foreign tourism amid falling oil revenues due to economic sanctions.
"Tourist trips to Iran are very attractive, important and cheap for foreigners while at the same time the country enjoys a high level of political and security stability," Soltanifar said on state TV.
"Half of the foreign tourists visited the country’s holy cities of Mashhad and Qom and a two-week tourist visa is issued for the nationals of 190 countries at Iranian ports and airports, he added."
