TEHRAN – It takes time for international tourism to gain traction in Iran, the head of the Iranian Hoteliers Association, has said.

Iran needs time to re-establish itself as a destination for foreign tourists, IRNA quoted Jamshid Hamzehzadeh as saying on Saturday.

Therefore, domestic tourism is now the primary focus of related organizations, he added.

It has been a difficult time for the tourism and hotel industries in the past few years, either because of natural disasters, political or security concerns, as well as the coronavirus outbreak, which was devastating to this area, he noted.

The priority is to deal with domestic tourism in order to overcome the tourism industry’s crisis, he explained.

As far as domestic tourism is concerned, the quality of service is what interests travelers and tourists, he mentioned.

There are several programs carried out throughout the country to improve the quality of hotel services, which are primarily centered on training and empowerment of the staff, he said.

Moreover, several hotels and accommodation centers across the country have been restored and renovated and are ready to serve domestic and foreign travelers, he added.

In 2021, ISNA reported that the tourism industry of the country had suffered a loss of some 320 trillion rials ($1.1 billion) since the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic.

The pandemic has also ruined more than 44,000 jobs in a once budding travel sector of the country, the report added.

Experts believe accommodation centers suffered the most as a result of the outbreak of the coronavirus in Iran and its subsequent unemployment and financial losses.

Panels of travel experts have mapped out new marketing strategies hoping Iran’s tourism would get back on its feet once again.

Iran is potentially a booming destination for travelers seeking cultural attractions, breathtaking sceneries, and numerous UNESCO-registered sites. 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