Huge increase in Iranian tourists visiting Van

The number of Iranian tourists visiting Van has increased by 28% compared to 2023. The goal is to host 1 million Iranian visitors by the end of the year.

Türkiye’s tourism industry is facing challenges due to soaring costs across the board. As a result, the growing number of domestic tourists choosing international destinations for their vacations has become a subject of much discussion.

While exorbitant prices, particularly on the Mediterranean and Aegean coasts, negatively impact foreign tourists and expatriates, interest from Iranian tourists in Türkiye’s eastern regions and the Black Sea remains strong. The number of Iranian tourists arriving in Van has exceeded the average number of foreign tourists entering Türkiye.

Fevzi Celiktas, vice president of the Van Chamber of Commerce and Industry, reported a significant surge in Iranian tourism to the region. While 328,000 Iranian tourists visited Van in the first half of last year, this number jumped by 28% to reach 420,000 in the same period this year.

“Iranians love Van. We are doing everything we can to add value to our city’s economy. In 2015-16, tens of thousands of Iranians were coming. Now, we are talking about hundreds of thousands. Perhaps in 2025-26, we will be talking about millions of Iranians,” said Celiktas.

Noting that they aim to attract 1 million Iranian tourists by the end of the year, Celiktas added, “We regularly organize visits to Iran. We are in talks with social media influencers in Iran to promote our city. When the tourists we invite leave Van happy, they return with even larger groups on their next visit. This year, we aim to host one million Iranians in the city. Looking at the statistics, I believe we will exceed this number. We must turn the wealth of countries into mutual benefits through good neighborly relations.”