Baku, Azerbaijan, March 30
By Khalid Kazimov - Trend:
Head of Iran's Cultural Heritage, Handicraft, and Tourism Organization Masoud Soltanifar has said based on the 20-year national development plan, by 2025 Iran is expected to receive 20 million foreign tourists, making $30 billion.
He said that currently, the foreign tourist revenue is only 0.5 percent of the country's total revenue, adding that with capacities the country enjoys, the number should reach 3 percent, IRNA news agency reported March 30.
The revenue made from each foreign tourist visiting Iran should be calculated at $1,750, but since tourists differ from Arab countries and Afghanistan, the rate is granted at $1,300.
The official further said that currently Iran's foreign tourism revenue stands at 6 to 6.5 billion dollars.
The landscape of Iran is diverse, providing a range of activities from hiking and skiing in the Alborz Mountains to beach holidays by the Gulf and the Caspian Sea.
After rising to power, Iran's President Hassan Rouhani promised to support the country's largely untapped tourism sector.
Edited by CN