TEHRAN- A total of 2,525 tourism-related projects worth 1.3 quadrillion rials (about $32 billion) are being implemented across the country, said the head of the tourism ministry’s public relations and information center Alireza Bai, CHTN reported on Monday.

Although the coronavirus pandemic has brought the tourism industry into a standstill, the ministry is trying to keep it afloat for the post-corona era, the official added.

To develop the tourism infrastructure, the government tries to provide facilities, allocate budget and credits, issue necessary permissions and licenses for the projects, of which some are ceded to the private sector, he noted.

The rapid spread of the novel coronavirus has plunged the travel and tourism industry and economy in the global scene over the past couple of months as passenger traffic on airlines and hotel occupancy rates have fallen off a cliff compared to the same periods in previous years. However, some experts expect Iran to achieve a tourism boom after coronavirus contained, believing its impact would be temporary and short-lived for a country that ranked the third fastest-growing tourism destination in 2019.

Iran 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 24 being inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage list. Under the 2025 Tourism Vision Plan, it aims to increase the number of tourist arrivals from 4.8 million in 2014 to 20 million in 2025. The latest available data show eight million tourists visited the Islamic Republic during the first ten months of the past Iranian calendar year (ended March 20).

ABU/MG