TEHRAN –A group of 15 Russian travel insiders has recently arrived in Iran for a five-day familiarization tour, CHTN reported on Wednesday.

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

They will visit Nasir al-Molk Mosque, commonly known as “The Pink Mosque”, Karim Khan Citadel (locally known as Arg-e Karim Khan), UNESCO-designated Pasargadae, Sheikh Lotfollah Mosque, Ali Qapu Palace, and some other tourist attractions.

A key goal of the tour is to introduce and promote the country’s tourism potential in the post-coronavirus era.

One of the main programs of the foreign tourism marketing section of the tourism ministry is to organize fam tours of the target tourism market countries in order to provide their people with an opportunity to visit and become familiar with Iran’s tourism capability.

The average of international travels to and from Iran fell by 80 percent during the 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.

Back in March, the head of the Iranian Tour Operators Ebrahim Pourfaraj, said that Iran’s low prices give it a competitive edge in attracting foreign tourists.

“By offering lower-cost travel packages than other neighboring countries, Iran can remain competitive in the global tourism market and become a special destination for foreign tourists.”

Many people are now looking for the best travel conditions and the lowest prices since the world economy is undergoing turmoil due to the coronavirus outbreak and many people have lost their jobs, the expert added.

Iran is now in a privileged position to capture some of the region’s tourism market with reasonable offers, he noted.

“Since there were no entry tours during the pandemic, and given that tourist visas have been issued for a few months now, we have just begun our negotiations with foreign tour operators.”

Last November, the official said that the restoration of tourism flow to the country is very important for Iranian tour operators and travel insiders.

Furthermore, Pourfaraj said that the Islamic Republic must rebuild trust with the global tourism market, referring to the high levels of health security and vaccination that the country has achieved against the coronavirus. 

He said some of his colleagues have commenced talks in various tourism fields with target markets of China, Japan, Russia, and some European countries.

As mentioned by Pourfaraj, Iran has made its best to maintain contact with global tourism markets and companies that worked with Iran in the past, especially since virtual communication and meetings have thrived.

Some experts believe Iran is still somehow “unknown” to many potential travelers due to the Western “media war”. Several estimates have been released so far on the extent of the tourism-related losses incurred by the pandemic.

According to the data compiled by the tourism ministry, the tourism of the country was growing before the corona outbreak, its revenues reached $11.7 billion in 2019, which accounted for 2.8% of GDP, nearing the average share of tourism in the world GDP, which was 3.2 percent. Some 8.7 million foreign nationals visited Iran during the Iranian year (1398) and Iran was ranked as the second fastest-growing country in tourism based on data compiled by the World Tourism Organization.

Iran is potentially a booming destination for travelers seeking cultural attractions, breathtaking sceneries, and numerous UNESCO-registered sites.

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/MG