TEHRAN – Iran’s tourist arrivals from China and Oman have been on the rise over the past couple of years, since the Islamic Republic abolished visa requirements for their nationals.

“Statistical studies show the numbers of Chinese and Omani nationals traveling to Iran have increased after the country implemented one-way visa cancellation treaties in [the Iranian calendar year] 1398 (started on March 2017),” ISNA quoted a tourism official as saying on Tuesday.

Iran’s spring tourist arrivals from China show a 57 percent increase compared to the same three-month period in 2017, Moslem Shojai said.

In addition, data provided by some travel platforms, such as Tuniu Corporation, a Chinese online travel agency, suggest Iran and several other countries in West Asia and Africa have become the new favorite “unexpected names” on Chinese travelers' list of summer vacation destinations this year.

Talking to ISNA, the official said the visa waiver program for Oman nationals reflected an instant impact. “The number of Omani nationals visiting Iran jumped 97 percent during the first month after the visa abolishment compared to the same period a year earlier,” the official noted.

Oman, for its part, simplified in 2021 its travel rules for Iranian nationals who want to stay in the sultanate for up to 14 days.

To foster tourism, the Islamic Republic is considering a border-easing policy based on which it may unilaterally drop visa requirements for passport holders of 60 states, according to Ali-Asghar Shalbafian who is the deputy tourism minister.

The proposal to waive visa requirements with 60 countries is made by the Ministry of Cultural Heritage, Tourism, and Handicrafts and is currently under consideration by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and relevant authorities.

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

Based on the latest United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) World Tourism Barometer, foreign tourist arrivals in Iran reached some 2.93 million between January and July 2023.

Although the country’s performance as a tourism destination is still far below that of 2019, which was before the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, it is improving slightly compared to last year's statistics.

The average statistics of Iran’s tourism from January to August 2023 is 50% lower than the same period in 2019 based on the barometer that tracks the sector’s post-pandemic recovery throughout 2023 up to the end of July.

Another statistic compiled by Iran’s tourism ministry indicates the country saw 3.35 million tourist arrivals in the first half of the current Iranian calendar year (started March 21), which soars 38 percent year on year.

The Islamic Republic expects to reap a bonanza from its numerous tourist spots such as bazaars, museums, mosques, bridges, bathhouses, madrasas, mausoleums, churches, towers, and mansions, of which 27 are inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage list.

AFM