TEHRAN – The number of foreign arrivals in Aras Free Zone, northwestern Iran, rose by 74 percent during the first ten months of the [current Iranian calendar] year (started March 21, 2019), IRNA reported. 

“Some 529,000 foreign nationals have visited Aras Free Zone in the current year so far, which shows a 74 percent increase year on year,” a local official announced on Monday.

Meanwhile, around 10.3 million visits by domestic travelers were also registered during the ten-month period, up 29 percent year on year, Yousef Dadashzadeh said.

The official noted that overnight stays rose by 25 percent and 47 percent respectively for domestic and foreign travelers during the aforementioned ten months compared with the same period last year. 

Moreover, accommodation beds have increased by 23 percent in Aras Free Zone during the past ten months, he said, adding that 15,544 people can now be accommodated in hotels and other guest houses across the zone, he explained.

Last November, regional cultural officials announced they were completing an all-inclusive dossier for the Aras Geopark to be registered on the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization’s Global Geoparks list.

AFM/MG