DUSHANBE, January 10, 2012, Asia-Plus -- 183,000 foreign tourists visited Tajikistan last year, which is 23,000 tourists more than in 2010, Maliksho Nematov, the head of the Committee for Youth, Sports and Tourism Affairs under the Government of Tajikistan, announced at a news conference in Dushanbe on January 9. 

He noted that mainly tourists from Iran, Afghanistan, Russia, the United States, China, Germany, Japan, France, South Korea and some other countries visited our country in 2011.

According to estimates of international experts, each foreign tourist spends on average US$500 during his/her stay in our country.

Lochin Fayzulloyev, the deputy head of the Committee for Youth, Sports and Tourism Affairs,  for his part, noted that foreign investors showed interest last year in investment in development of tourism in Tajikistan.

“Some Iranian companies are interested in investment in enhancement of infrastructure of the Khoja Obi Garm health resort,” Fayzulloyev said.

He added that they have received a large number of applications from Iranian, Pakistani, Kazakh and Russian companies for launching joint tourist companies.