IRNA � Deputy head of Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism Organization (ICHTO) described as ineffective US sanctions on tourists visiting Iran.


Speaking to IRNA on Thursday, Vali Teymouri said the number of tourists visiting Iran has been unprecedented during the last Iranian calendar year.

He also referred to adopting Tabriz as tourism capital of Iran by Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in 2018, saying various national and international events were held in Tabriz last year.

Teymouri noted that the OIC chooses a city as tourism capital every year.

Meanwhile, the Asia Cooperation Dialogue (ACD) adopted Hamedan as Asian countries� tourism capital, he said.

Teymouri went on to say that decrease in Iran national currency value made more competitive Iran tour packages, adding that over seven million tourists visited Iran last year.

Earlier, a Spanish couple, who entered Iran 45 days ago on a cycling tour, said they were eager to transfer old and rich Iranian culture and civilization to their country.

They described Iranians as very cultured and hospitable which they said stands in sharp contrast with the negative propaganda against Iran in some western media.

The Spanish tourists compared Christmas with New Year in Iran called Nowruz, saying the two events are the same but the latter is richer.

New Iranian calendar year started on March 21, when people in Iran and all over the world as well as the Nowruz-zone countries celebrated the New Year with Iranian roots.