TEHRAN – Iran is an amazing and wonderful country for tourists and [Some] ninety percent of Spanish cultural tourists are willing to visit the country at least for once, Madrid’s ambassador to Tehran has said.

“Iran is home to the most genuinely hospitable people who greet foreign tourists with open arms,” Eduardo López Busquets said.

Spanish tourists like to visit Iran which is a country rich in culture and civilization, he said in an exclusive interview with ILNA news agency published on Saturday.

Many Spanish tourists, around 10,000, travel to Iran annually, most of them are between the ages of 50 and 60 years, he noted.

“Most Spanish people who travel to Iran are cultural tourists. Once in Iran, they also become familiar with Iran’s capacities in ecotourism.”

He said more than 90 percent of Spanish cultural tourists are interested in traveling to Iran. “I can say that all of these people like to travel to Iran at least once.”

“Most of these tourists are attracted to monuments and culture of Iran. Although they may have been given a different picture of Iran in the media, tourists certainly change their minds about the country after a visit to Iran,” the ambassador stated.

Busquets added that in fact, Spanish tourists return home with a happy perspective.

“All our efforts are aimed at making not only Spain, but also other European countries to have a good relationship with Iran and promote Iran’s cultural activities.”

Asked if travel agencies in Spain provide packages for traveling to Iran, he said, “Yes, there are many major tour companies in Spain that offer travel packages to Iran.”

Currently, a loan exhibit from Spain’s Archeological Museum of Alicante (MARQ) in on show at the National Museum of Iran. The large-scale exhibition features around 300 objects, some of which dating for millennia.

The exhibit is in return for a landmark Iranian exhibit titled “Iran, Cradle of Civilization” that the Spanish museum had hosted from March 14 to September 1, pulling in 101,108 visitors Spain and other nationalities.

AFM/MG