Azernews.Az

By Sara Rajabova

Iran’s Mashad city is a popular destination for foreign tourists to the Islamic Republic.

Javad Mousavi, the deputy director of Khorasan Razavi Province’s Cultural Heritage, Tourism, and Handicrafts Department said half of foreign tourists to Iran choose the holy city of Mashhad as their destination.

Mashhad is the second most populous city in Iran and capital of Razavi Khorasan Province in the northeast of the country, close to the borders of Turkmenistan and Afghanistan.

The city is most famous and revered for housing the tomb of Imam Reza, the eighth Shia Imam. Every year, millions of pilgrims visit the Imam Reza shrine and pay their tributes.

Mousavi said the holy shrine of Imam Reza, as well as high quality accommodation services by the city’s hotels, attracts Iranian and foreign tourists, Iran’s IRNA news agency reported.

Over the past year, some five million foreign tourists visited Iran, he said, adding that 50 percent of the tourists selected Mashhad as their destination.

Mousavi also noted that there are currently 16 direct flights from Mashhad’s Hasheminejad Airport to other countries.

The city, which draws millions of tourists every year, is a shopper's paradise. Blessed with a rich heritage and old world charm, Mashhad is a unique travel experience for the tourists.

Every year, several million people visit Mashhad tourist attractions. The absolute majority of them are religious travelers going to the city for pilgrimage.

Mashhad itself has grown into a large industrialized city as well. In ancient times, it was on the Silk Route passing through northeastern Iran. The location, historical events, and its religious significance have all contributed to the growing importance of the city.

Currently, Iran has 1,100 hotels and only 130 of them are 4 and 5-star hotels. By 2025, the number of hotels in Iran will be increased threefold.

Most tourists come to the country from neighboring countries for treatment, or to visit religious and historical sites.

Some 3.8 million of foreign tourists visited Iran in 2012, bringing $1.11 billion worth of income to the country. The figure stood at 4.77 million in 2013, constituting a 24.4 percent jump in revenue.

Earlier, Iranian officials said the country plans to attract 20 million tourists annually by 2025, which could generate $30 billion in revenues.

Iran is seen as one of the world’s top potential tourist destinations, as it contains a countless number of ancient sites. The country ranks fourth in Asia and first in the Middle East in terms of the number of UNESCO World Heritage Sites, with an impressive 17 historic sites that have been added to UNESCO’s World Heritage List.

Iran's tourism industry is booming, with more foreign travelers visiting the country than ever before. The Iranian government has recently focused on the development of the tourism sector. Iran's President Hassan Rouhani is hoping to attract 10 million international tourists each year.

For the first time in 35 years, the number of tourists who traveled to Iran exceeds the number of Iranian tourists visiting other countries.

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Sara Rajabova is AzerNews’ staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @SaraRajabova

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