Iranians have been flocking across the border to neighboring Türkiye’s Van province, driving what is said to be the most dynamic tourism season in recent years for their frequent destination.

In addition to Iran, visitors from Iraq and Armenia have also been arriving in high numbers, helping the eastern province exceed the pre-pandemic figures, according to officials.

Local businesses and accommodation facilities have much to celebrate with the rebound from the fallout of the coronavirus that had prompted the closure of border crossings with Iran.

"It is very valuable that especially Iranian visitors have been showing great interest in the city continuously since the beginning of the year," Provincial Culture and Tourism Director Erol Uslu said.

"We are seeing that Van has exceeded the number of visitors it had reached in 2018. The density of visitors is observed not only from Iran, but also from neighboring countries such as Iraq and Armenia," Uslu told Anadolu Agency (AA).

Van has over the years become Iranians’ top destination, especially during their national holidays.

"We come to Türkiye every year for holidays. We really like the hospitality here. There are many beautiful places to visit in Van, including Van Castle and Akdamar Island," said an Iranian tourist, spelled by the AA as Ariel Baragin.

"Iranians are very well received. Van is the place to where everyone in Iran wants to go for a holiday. All the trends of Türkiye in shopping are also found in Van. We like Türkiye and Van very much."

The city is famed for its natural wonders and historical monuments. Most Iranian tourists arrive in March and April to spend their 13-day Nevruz holiday, which is the Persian New Year and celebrates the coming of spring.

The city also hosts a major shopping fest that coincides with the Nevruz holiday. The fest lasts up to 15 days and is a major source of income for local businesses and accommodation facilities.

"We are seeing major satisfaction not only in the accommodation but also in the transportation, food and beverage and shopping sectors," Uslu said. "What we, as Van, have to ensure is to make this occupancy permanent and make sure visitors leave our country without any negative experiences."

Hotels in the eastern province have been fully booked for almost three months, according to Van Commerce and Industry Chamber Chair Necdet Takva.

"Occupancy will continue until the end of November. There has also been a recent flow of tourists from northern Iraq, Azerbaijan and Armenia. We are carrying out activities that will attract more tourists from these countries," Takva said.

Van is also seen as a transit to other tourism regions, he added.

"Incoming tourists are not only staying in the Van. The maximum bed capacity of the Van is about 15,000. We know that 320,000 people who came to the city went to other tourism regions using our city as a transit zone. In this sense, we have become a city that completely serves tourism," he noted.

"When we look at the spending amounts of these people, an added value of around TL 1.5 billion ($81.1 billion) has been created just this period."

Benimas Vahidi, accompanied by his family, says he crossed the Kapıköy Customs Gate for the first time.

"It’s been very crowded lately. There are a lot of people from Iran. This is also a very beautiful city. We are neighboring countries. There are many Turks in our cities of Tabriz and Urmia. We prefer Türkiye because of our closeness," he noted.