Iraqi tourism to Iran’s Feyli Ilam province rises 75%

Shafaq News- Ilam/ Baghdad

Iraqi tourism to Iran’s Feyli Ilam province increased by 75% over the past year, with around 8,000 Iraqi visitors officially registering stays at hotels and tourism facilities in the province so far, local tourism authorities said on Monday.

Farzad Sharifi, director general of Ilam’s Cultural Heritage, Tourism, and Handicrafts Department, told Iran’s Mehr News Agency that Ilam is a leading destination for many Iraqi visitors due to the “deep social and historical ties” linking communities on both sides of the border. He added that the 430-kilometer shared frontier and the Mehran border crossing facilitate continuous movement and communication, particularly between Mehran and Iraq’s Wasit province.

Tourists are drawn to the province’s historical landmarks, natural environment, rural guesthouses offering traditional local experiences, and medical tourism supported by improving healthcare services.

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As part of efforts to expand tourism cooperation, the province also organized the “Across the Border” event aimed at introducing tourism operators from Wasit to Ilam’s tourism opportunities and investment potential, Sharifi noted.