500,000 Foreigners Visit Isfahan

At least half a million foreign tourists visited the central province of Isfahan in the first nine months of the current Iranian year (started March 21, 2017).

According to the latest report by the provincial office of Iran’s Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism Organization, the most visited sites have been Imam Mosque (also known as Masjed-e Jame’), Ali Qapu Palace and Sheikh Lotfollah Mosque, followed by Chehel Sotoun and Fin Garden.

“French people made up the largest bulk of tourists to Isfahan, unlike the same period of last year, when Germany sent the most number of tourists to the province,” Fereidoun Allahyari, the head of the provincial ICHHTO, was quoted as saying by Mehr News Agency.

Based on the figures, people from Italy, Spain and China visited Isfahan the most after French and German visitors.

Pointing to the two high travel seasons in Isfahan: the first three months of the year (late March to late June) and the other during autumn, Allahyari suggested that Christmas holidays are other potential occasions that can become the third peak travel period.

Despite official efforts to expand sustainable tourism across all counties and regions of Isfahan by promoting ecotourism, historical monuments and sites are still receiving the largest number of visitors.

Isfahan Province has over 22,000 historical sites and monuments, of which 850 are nationally registered and four have been designated by UNESCO as World Heritage Sites, namely Naqsh-e Jahan Square, Imam Mosque, Chehel Sotoun Palace and Fin Garden.

The province has 90 hotels and 65 guesthouses, of which 57 hotels and 30 guesthouses are located in the city of Isfahan.