TEHRAN –Iran will play a part at the 29th International Travel & Hospitality Show, which will be held in Moscow from March 16 to 18.

The Ministry of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts has tasked the Touring & Automobile Club of the Islamic Republic of Iran (TACI) with running the country’s pavilion at the Russian event, IRNA reported on Tuesday.

The Islamic Republic intends to show a purposeful presence in a bid to promote its numerous attractions in various tourism fields while it pursues investment capacities, the report said.

Cultural evenings, folk music performances, live handicrafts and calligraphy workshops, and offering souvenirs are among the programs that the Iranian pavilion has on the agenda.

The pavilion will also organize B2B meetings, displays of 3D films of historical monuments and travel destinations, offerings of Persian cuisines, and special publications and brochures.

According to organizers, MITT is one of the top five tourist exhibitions in the world, held in high regard by industry professionals. “In 2022, the exhibition took place to great success, bringing 541 exhibitors from 15 countries and 57 Russian regions, more than 9 000 visitors. It also hosted 14 events with 135 leading experts.”

Home to countless attractions, including 26 UNESCO World Heritage sites, Iran seeks to draw the attention of potential Russian travelers, as many domestic experts believe the majority of whom are unfamiliar with Iran’s tourism market.

“Iran’s tourism market is not properly known for Russian nationals. What we need in this field is to provide advertisements, information, and a proper image of our country,” Isfahan tourism chief said on Sunday.

“Today, Russians [mainly] travel to [destinations such as] Dubai and Turkey for tourism, and one of our problems is that the Iranian market is not well known to them.”

The official expressed hope to reduce the gap by organizing FAM tours, B2B meetings and forums to be attended by tourism insiders from the two countries.

Last year, an Iranian travel expert said many Russian tourists were eager to travel to Iran, an Iranian travel expert said on Monday, recounting his Russian counterparts. “Many [potential] Russian travelers are motivated to visit novel and lesser-known destinations such as Iran that could be a safe and attractive destination,” said Mostafa Sarvari, who presided over the tourism marketing and advertising office of the Iranian Tour Operators Association.

The Head of the Iranian Tour Operators Association Ebrahim Pourfaraj believes the majority of potential Russian travelers are unaware of the vast tourist attractions that exist in every corner of Iran. “The fact is that Iran’s political and economic relations with Russia are considered as good, but this has nothing to do with attracting tourists because it is directly connected with the Russian people. It is the Russian people who must choose Iran as their destination.”

AFM