Iranians throng Van for ‘legendary Friday’ shopping

VAN

Thousands of Iranians have flocked to the eastern province of Van to benefit from discounts amid the “legendary Friday” shopping days that started on Nov. 26 and will last until the weekend.

Following the protests that sparked across Iran after 22-year-old Mahsa Amini’s death in police custody in October, restrictions on internet access also hit the sector representatives.

The “legendary Friday influx” put a smile on the Turkish hoteliers’ faces as hotels’ occupancy rates reached 100 percent from around 30 percent earlier this month, according to Yunus Yüksel, the head of Van Hoteliers and Tourism Association (VANOTED).

Iranian tourists filled the city to take advantage of the discounts of famous brands. They shop during the day and enjoy a great time in the evenings at entertainment venues.

Reminding that the summer season was also very productive for hoteliers, Yüksel said, “At the beginning of November, the occupancy rates of hotels were considerably low, but tourists now have started to come for a three-day holiday and for shopping for the legendary Friday.”

“There were around 4,000 tourists waiting at the Iran customs gate. These tourists most recently crossed the border as well. More than 10,000 visitors are expected to come to Van in this three-day period,” he added.

Van is not only a city that receives seasonal tourists but a city that receives tourists for 12 months, Yüksel also pointed out.

Some tourists who came to Van for the legendary Friday stated they “loved the city and local people.”

“We come every month, but this time it was for the ‘amazing Friday.’ It is highly beneficial for us as clothing is also cheap here, while everything is super expensive in our country. We have a pleasant time and have fun in the evenings,” said an Iranian, stressing that there was a huge crowd at the border.

Türkiye welcomed around 1.2 million Iranians in 2012, and the number of visitors from the neighboring country increased in the following years to reach a record 2.5 million people in 2017.

However, in 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic hit the world, only 385,000 Iranians vacationed in Türkiye. But, the number of people arriving from Iran climbed to 1.15 million last year.

According to statistics, the money spent in 2018 by Iranians in the city was around 231 million Turkish Liras ($12 million), while the amount spent per person was around 1,200 liras ($65).

Most Iranian tourists travel to Türkiye in March during their 13-day Nevruz holiday, which is the Persian New Year and celebrates the coming of spring.