TEHRAN –Western countries have tarnished Iran’s tourism brand for more than four decades using the media and negative advertisements, Mehr reported on Wednesday.

During the past few years, these efforts have intensified, especially following the recent unrest in the country, the report added.

Along with media outlets, foreign ministry websites of these countries are also trying to portray Iran as unsafe and dangerous by stating untrue information.

Mostly, the contents of these sites are used as a reference by tourism sites and as a resource for potential tourists seeking information about a tourist attraction’s safety.

However, after a trip to Iran, foreign tourists’ perception of Iran changes and they regard the country as a safe place.

There are several weblogs and travelogues by western tourists visiting Iran, in which they narrate their experience of their trip and express their astonishment at seeing such a beautiful country.

It seems that the Iranian Foreign Ministry needs to take steps to show the correct image of Iran given the amount of anti-Iranian propaganda being spread in western countries.

Furthermore, it is becoming increasingly important to spread propaganda about Iran’s peaceful and safe situation in other countries.

It would be a good idea to launch advertising campaigns as soon as possible to change the image of Iran’s tourism.

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.

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