Fars Tourism Continues to Break Records

Foreign tourist numbers in the southern province of Fars continue to beat last year’s record.

It was announced last week that the province hosted more than 69,000 foreign tourists in the Iranian month of Farvardin (March 21–April 20), registering a 59% increase compared with the same period of last year.

Statistics released by the provincial office of Iran’s Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism Organization show that more than 127,000 foreign travelers visited the province in the first six weeks of the year, registering a 52% growth year-on-year, Mehr News Agency reported.

According to Mosayyeb Amiri, the head of the provincial ICHHTO office, Fars hosted more than 59,000 tourists between April 21 and May 5.

Amiri added that Persepolis, Naqsh-e-Rostam and the tomb of renowned Persian poet, Hafez, were the most visited sites.

Fars Province is home to Shiraz, one of the oldest Iranian cities, and four world heritage sites: Pasargadae and Persepolis, the Achaemenid Empire’s (550–330 BC) administrative and ceremonial capitals respectively; and Pasargadae and Eram gardens, two of Iran’s nine entries inscribed collectively as the Persian Garden.