“The country earned more than $195 million from the exports of handicrafts during the nine-month period, indicating an 11% growth in comparison with the similar period of last year,” Ali Asghar Mounesan, the head of Iran’s Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism Organization said on Monday.
According to the official, last year, some $280 million worth of handicrafts were exported through official ports and $250 million were exported via suitcase trade.
Referring to the growth of handicraft production and exports as an effective means for improving the tourism industry, Mounesan said that over 9 million foreign tourists traveled to Iran during the first nine months of this year, while last year’s total visits to the country stood at 5 million.
MNA/YJC6820445