For Iranians who are fed up with their country’s current economic situation, the answer lies in a historical dreamland: Georgia, as a gateway to Europe.

Ever since the two countries signed in 2016 a visa-free travel agreement, the number of Iranians visiting this country in the Caucasus has increased significantly, and many contemplate a life in the country whose rents, cost of living and inflation rate (2.8% compared to 9.4% in Iran) are lower than in Iran.

The number of Iranians traveling to Georgia has increased considerably since the signing of the agreement. Iran’s Ambassador to Georgia Seyed Javad Ghavamshahidi told Asriran news website on Aug. 24 that 323,000 Iranians have visited Georgia in the last 12 months, and this may increase to 1 million in the next year.

Part of the Iranians' interest in Georgia is due to the historical and cultural relations between the two countries. Parts of current Georgia have been under intermittent suzerainty of the Persian Empire up until the 19th century. In the 16th century, Tahmasp I, the influential shah of the Safavid dynasty, captured and moved thousands of Georgians to Iran, who later played an important role in the empire’s civil and military bureaucracy.