TEHRAN –A better tourism sector will improve the overall state of the country, Cultural Heritage, Tourism, and Handicrafts Minister Ezzatollah Zarghami has said.

It is inevitable that when tourism in the country improves, other sectors will also improve, the minister explained.

Tourism can replace many sources of income if it develops, he added.

Many of the country’s tourism obstacles can be attributed to historical factors, and the country lags behind in many tourism sectors, particularly infrastructure, he noted.

As a result, the government is working to strengthen the country’s tourism infrastructure, and plans have been made to remove the obstacles, he mentioned.

Last year, the Ministry of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts announced that tourism in 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.

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.

Iran seeks 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/AM