Batumi, Georgia (CNN) -- For Iranian tourists strolling in the sun-drenched squares in the Black Sea town of Batumi, Georgia is a pocket of hospitality in a world that has largely closed its doors to them. In Georgia, that all changed last year when the former Soviet republic lifted its visa requirements for Iranians and the tourists started flowing in. While the numbers are still modest, Georgian government statistics show a tripling of Iranian tourists so far this year with visitors now in the tens of thousands. "When I describe the possibilities, the potential, they are very eager, and they will come, they're very interested to come more," says Farzin Valipour, an Iranian Tourism Operator now living in Georgia.
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Iranians increasingly see Georgia as an attractive tourism destination
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Georgia keen to attract investment from the region
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Experts suggest Georgia wants to court Iran but not damage U.S. relations
"@placeholder is very near to Iran, it is very easy to get a bus or a flight to come here... without needing a visa," gushed one Iranian visitor as she took in the historical sites in Batumi.
Last month, a few dozen Iranian business leaders arrived in @placeholder to seek investment opportunities in transport, agriculture and construction.