TEHRAN The first international Islamic tourism fair is to be held in Isfahan from October 3-8, it was announced on Sunday.
The fair aims to upgrade the level of cultural and tourist exchanges among the Islamic countries.
According to the organizers, during the fair some tourist organizations will put their services on display.
Iran hopes its improving image abroad will help lift its depressed tourism industry.
"The bitter truth is that our negative image, created by negative propaganda, has been a fatal poison for our tourism industry since the revolution," says Iran's chief tourism official Mohammad Moezzeddin.
"We want to improve this image and President (Mohammad) Khatami's open-door and detente policy is the main key to this goal," he told journalists last week.
Iran's once-vibrant tourism industry all but died after the 1979 revolution.
The bloody 1980s war with Iraq scared away many foreigners. Some of the best relics of pagan and Islamic tradition in the historic cities of Shiraz and Isfahan were left as neglected ruins.
The idea to revive tourism resurfaced after the war, when Iran needed hard cash to rebuild, and it is still seen as an alternative source of foreign currency to oil exports.
But tourism in Iran has never got back on its feet, with progress hampered by Iran's unrealistic image abroad.
President Khatami's social liberalization and foreign policy overtures have been of some help to the tourist industry.
More people are travelling to Iran, but visitors are largely limited to Muslims and small groups of ageing Westerners, usually on tours.
Officials say about 1.7 million tourists visit Iran a year, spending up to $800 million. Iran hopes the number of foreign visitors will be more than double in five years' time.
Tourism officials are trying to highlight Iran's natural and historical advantages against the negative propaganda in hopes of enticing tourists.
Moezzeddin said Iran preferred "cultural tourism", where the country's historical and religious heritage are promoted.
"A growing number of young people who travel to Iran from European countries are attracted to our cultural roots, not casinos, discotheques and beaches," he said.
He said Iran's religious lifestyle was far from repressive and could even appeal to Westerners as exotic.
"Many Westerners are surprised to see women working as doctors, engineers and politicians, while observing the Islamic dress code," he said.
One drawback, critics say, is Iran's tottering tourism infrastructure.
No major hotels have been built in Tehran or other major cities in two decades.
The existing ones, though refurbished, are ill-equipped and poorly managed.
To improve accommodation, the government and other public bodies are selling off hotels seized after the revolution.
But with the lack of a clear tourism policy, many private investors avoid making long-term investments. Efforts to draw foreign investment have yet to produce results.
Moezzeddin blamed "ambiguous" regulations for the slow progress, but said an amendment to laws on foreign investment, currently under review, could greatly help.
"We ought to remove negative impressions in society about foreign tourists. We must do away with a mentality that sees tourists as spies or lechers," said Grand Ayatollah Nasser Makarem-Shirazi.
At present, Iran is happy enough to draw tourists from Muslim countries, whose nationals are seen to be more at ease with the Islamic Republic's social mores.
"We are an Islamic country and we have to develop tourism in a way that is free of negative drawbacks," Moezzeddin said.
Iran has already waived or eased visa regulations with some Muslim states, including Saudi Arabia.