TEHRAN – Iran’s Minister of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts, Seyed Reza Salehi-Amiri, has said figures highlight the strategic importance of the Iraqi tourism market under current circumstances.
 Referring to consultations aimed at expanding tourism ties between the two countries, Salehi-Amiri said that attracting 10 million tourists from Iran and Iraq is on the agenda.
He also stated that each tourist is permitted to carry up to $10,000 in foreign currency, with the same allowance calculated separately for each family member.
Emphasizing the importance of neighboring countries’ markets, the minister described Iraq as one of Iran’s strategic tourism markets. The significant share of Iraqi visitors among foreign tourists arriving in Iran during 23 August– 22 September points to the potential of this market to support the growth of inbound tourism.
The allowance of up to $10,000 in foreign currency per tourist, calculated separately for each family member, is among the arrangements that may be relevant to foreign visitors when planning their trips and managing travel expenses.
Iran and Iraq have previously placed the development of bilateral tourism and an increase in travel between the two countries on their agenda. In Shahrivar, the minister said that around 3.6 million Iraqi tourists visit Iran annually, while the number of Iranians traveling to Iraq is approximately the same.
These figures do not include Arbaeen pilgrims, an annual event that brings millions of people from the two countries onto pilgrimage routes between Iran and Iraq. The joint target of increasing two-way tourist exchanges to 10 million people annually is part of broader efforts by the two countries to expand tourism, economic and cultural cooperation.