TEHRAN–The domestic tourist flow is expected to decrease in the second half of the current Iranian year (Sep.23 - Mar. 20), an official with the tourism ministry has said.

As most of the holidays occurred in the first half of the year, tourism experienced good growth, and many cities and provinces achieved occupancy rates of more than 50 percent, while some even reached 100 percent, ILNA quoted Seyyed Mostafa Fatemi as saying on Friday.

However, the second half of the year is expected to be a slower period for domestic tourism due to the lack of holidays in the middle of the week, the official explained.

Due to the cold weather and distance from the population centers, western provinces of the country are the most affected by a decrease in tourists, while destinations close to major cities will still see more visitors, he added.

Back in August, the Cultural Heritage, Tourism, and Handicrafts Minister Ezzatollah Zarghami announced that the tourism ministry is looking at ways to help reduce the cost of traveling for domestic holidaymakers.

“Over the past year, we have recognized 20 obstacles in the path of tourism development in the country… By strengthening domestic tourism, we would be able to boost employment and improve the national economy,” Zarghami explained.

“Domestic travels constitute up to 80 percent of the tourism industry in many developed countries… Domestic tourism causes the distribution of wealth, when domestic tourism is strengthened, production, employment and wealth are strengthened.”
    
Before the pandemic, Iran’s tourism had constantly been growing, reaching more than eight million visitors in the Iranian calendar year 1398 (started March 21, 2019). That surge, however, helped prejudices to become thick and thin.

Iran’s trump card is that the country benefits from a wide variety of travel destinations ranging from seacoasts and lush green woods to towering mountains and harsh deserts. As a wallet-friendly destination with hospitable people, Iran has long been a desired destination for nature lovers, birdwatchers, powder chasers, culture devotees, pilgrims, museum-goers, foodies, adventurers, and medical travelers, to name a few.

ABU/AM