TEHRAN – The private sector is at the forefront of Iran tourism as it has enormous abilities to make significant contributions, Cultural Heritage, Tourism, and Handicrafts Minister Ezzatollah Zarghami has said. 

“There is no doubt that the private sector, organizations, and associations are at the forefront of tourism and the arm of the ministry in this area,” Zarghami said on Saturday, IRNA reported. 

Travel agencies are the link between Iran and other countries in the tourism sector and they need to organize tours and special packages for foreign tourists to encourage them to travel to Iran, he added. 

Using the capacities of cities that have sisterhood agreements with Iranian cities can also be a basis for planning and attention, and the tourism sector should interact with these countries and make use of their capacities, he noted. 

Iran's cultural offices and embassies abroad should use their capacities and opportunities to attract tourists and develop and prosper the tourism industry, he mentioned. 

Iran was ranked as the second fastest-growing country in tourism based on data compiled by the World Tourism Organization.

Experts expect Iran to achieve a tourism boom after the 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.

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