Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Bahram Qassemi says nearly 1,900 American tourists visited Iran over a period of nine months starting March 2018.

“During the first nine months of the current [Iranian] year, 1,879 American tourists traveled to Iran” Qassemi told IRNA on Wednesday.

He said that the tourists included cultural tourists, ones visiting monuments, ecotourists, pilgrims as well as those attending scientific conferences and seminars.

According to Qassemi, of the 1,879 American tourists, 511 were pilgrims.

With nearly two dozen special sites that have been registered on the World Heritage List of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), Iran has been frequently named as a must-visit travel destination.

The country is attracting camera-wielding Westerners in droves, where ancient bazaars, museums, mosques, monuments, gardens and palaces along with historical ruins, amazing rural landscapes and bustling cities provide a feast for the eyes to behold and be enchanted with.

Iran is one of the most secure countries in a region ridden with violence.

A report on global security, which was released in November, portrayed Iran as safe as much of Western Europe for travelers.

In November, Iran also started to issue electronic visa for foreign tourists as part of a larger initiative to cope with the restrictions imposed by the US administration on those traveling to the country.

Head of Iran’s Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism Organization (ICHTO) Ali Asghar Mounesan said the plan was aimed at facilitating travels to Iran by foreign tourists. He also expressed hope that the move could play a leading role in attracting more foreign tourists to the country.

Iran issues electronic Visas for foreign tourists in 110 domestic and international airports. There is no difference between Iran's electronic and normal visas in terms of duration. The new Visa provides foreign tourists with a chance to visit Iran without any concern.