TEHRAN – Investment in tourism will be pursued at the 16th Tehran International Tourism Exhibition, which will be held at Tehran Permanent International Fairgrounds from February 7 to 10, an official with the tourism ministry has said.

It will be one of the most important approaches in this year’s exhibition to discuss investment in the field of tourism, IRNA quoted Mostafa Fatemi as saying on Monday.

The exhibit will also focus on tourism in provinces across the country, the official added.

It also emphasizes the role of the private sector, along with municipalities and other tourism-related institutions in the provinces in the prosperity of tourism, he noted.

Last year, Cultural Heritage, Tourism, and Handicrafts Minister Ezzatollah Zarghami announced that the ministry welcomes further investment in the realm of the travel industry as the Islamic Republic is preparing to jumpstart tourism following months of recession caused by the pandemic.

Long shunned by Western travelers, the Islamic Republic has steadily stepped-up efforts to use tourism, over the past couple of years, to help promote its international image battered by endless opposition mostly from the U.S.

Experts believe even before the pandemic, Iran’s tourism was already grappling with some challenges, on top of those Western “media propaganda” aimed at scaring potential travelers away from the Islamic Republic. They say Iran is still somehow “unknown” to many potential travelers due to such a “media war.”

Before the COVID 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.

However, 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.

Mass COVID-19 vaccinations, consecutive fam tours for foreign tour operators, easing travel procedures, and fresh strategies, altogether, suggest Iran is determined to experience a tourism rebound with a greater reliance on its numerous tourist spots of which 26 are UNESCO World Heritage, above all, its welcoming people.

ABU/AM