TEHRAN -- The director of the Tourism Organization of Qom Province, Mohammad Ali Fayyazi, said that more than 30,000 Saudi Arabian pilgrims have visited the province to visit the holy shrine of Masoumeh (SA) and other historical sites and tourist attractions this year.

He added that since the Iranian government adopted a detente policy, Muslims from Arab countries have become more willing to visit the holy cities of Iran.

Fayyazi also said that over the past year, more than 61,500 foreign tourists visited the historical and religious sites of Qom province, most of whom were from the littoral states of the Persian Gulf.

He also pointed to the fact that, considering the large number of Iranian and foreign tourists visiting Qom, the province needs about 6,600 new beds.

Pointing to the enlargement of the holy Shrine of Masoumeh (SA), Fayyazi said that more than 222 beds have been taken out of the holy shrine while the project is under way and that this has caused problems for the pilgrims.

Referring to the fact that the private sector has been reluctant to invest in the tourism industry of Qom, he asked the government to support the private sector in this regard.

A tourism festival will be held in October in Qom with the theme: "Tourism, an Instrument for Peace and Dialogue Among Civilizations." Fayyazi said that holding the festival is a step toward attracting foreign tourists to Qom.