Iran, Iraq target 5 million annual visitors under new tourism roadmap

TEHRAN, Iran — TEHRAN — Iran announced on Saturday that it is preparing a one-year roadmap with Iraq to raise two-way visitor numbers to 5 million per year, up from current flows of roughly 3.6 million Iraqi tourists to Iran and 3.5 million Iranian tourists to Iraq annually. Iran's Minister of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts, Seyyed Reza Salehi Amiri, said the initiative follows a proposal made by the Iraqi prime minister during his recent meeting with the Iranian president. Salehi Amiri outlined the plan at a meeting in Tehran attended by officials from border provinces and private-sector representatives, who discussed cooperation mechanisms between the two countries. The roadmap seeks to expand travel beyond religious tourism, including Arbaeen pilgrimages, to cover health tourism, entertainment, shopping, and cultural and academic exchanges. Officials also pointed to the importance of direct shuttle bus lines connecting Baghdad to major Iranian destinations such as Mashhad, Shiraz and Isfahan, alongside road travel and private vehicle crossings. A comprehensive digital system is to be introduced to regulate patient and medical travel between the two countries. Private-sector participants called for the establishment of a High Tourism Council, simplified visa and border procedures, and financial incentives to lengthen visitors' average stays. No further details on the timeline or implementation were immediately available.