TEHRAN-A group of five Malaysian documentarians has recently arrived in Iran for a two-week familiarization tour, ISNA reported on Sunday. 

The group, which entered the Islamic Republic on Thursday, is scheduled to visit travel destinations in the provinces of Tehran, Isfahan, and Fars, the report added. 

Iranian food and souvenirs are the focus of the fam tour, which will also introduce Iran’s tourist attractions.

The group aims to document the day-to-day lives of Iranians in urban environments such as the traditional bazaar of Tehran. 

They will also visit Iranian World Heritage sites including Golestan Palace, Persepolis, Pasargadae, and the Imam Square. 

The documentary is due to air in Malaysia during the holy month of Ramadan as well as on other Southeast Asian TV channels.  

Back in September, Cultural Heritage, Tourism, and Handicrafts Minister Ezzatollah Zarghami announced the issuance of tourist visas and the flow of foreign tourists to Iran would resume as per President Ebrahim Raisi’s order following 19 months of suspension.

The average of international travels to and from Iran fell by 80 percent during the past Iranian calendar year 1399 (ended on March 20, 2021) from a year earlier caused by various coronavirus restrictions.

Optimistic forecasts, expect the country would achieve a tourism boom after coronavirus is contained, believing its impact would be temporary and short-lived for a country that ranked the third fastest-growing tourism destination in 2019.

UNWTO’s Panel of Experts foresees a rebound in international tourism in the current year, mostly in the third quarter. However, some experts suggest the rebound could occur only in 2022.

The Islamic Republic expects to reap a bonanza from its numerous tourist spots such as bazaars, museums, mosques, bridges, bathhouses, madrasas, mausoleums, churches, towers, and mansions, of which 26 are inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage list. Under the 2025 Tourism Vision Plan, Iran aims to increase the number of tourist arrivals from 4.8 million in 2014 to 20 million in 2025.

ABU/AFM