TEHRAN – Considering the coronavirus outbreak in the country, all programs and ceremonies celebrating the World Tourism Day and the National Tourism Week will be held online and in open-air spaces observing health protocols, deputy tourism minister has said.

Since 1980, the United Nations World Tourism Organization has celebrated World Tourism Day as international observances on September 27, on which countries promote their tourism attractions to the world.

Introducing and promoting Iran as a tourist destination and its tourist attractions to the world through various programs is one of the tourism ministry’s goals that can be pursued on this day, Vali Teymouri announced on Wednesday, adding that the 2020 theme is “Tourism and Rural Development”.

Mentioning that tourism cannot be defined only in domestic dimensions, he pointed to the role of Iranian envoys and cultural attaches in other countries in promoting Iran’s tourism.

He also pointed to the 1.3 million tourism workers in the country, who are facing several issues due to the coronavirus crisis and said “This number, in addition to their households, includes a significant population that makes a living through tourism, who are needed to be considered in ministry’s decisions.”

Responsible tourism could increase the number of domestic tourists across the country and help to boost the tourism industry despite the outbreak of the virus, Teymouri added.

Last week tourism minister Ali-Asghar Mounesan announced that the health ministry has approved the tourism ministry’s proposed plan on responsible tourism for safe traveling during the coronavirus pandemic.

The health ministry is of the opinion that traveling on a large scale without supervision and proper planning causes the spread of the coronavirus, he said and added that the tourism ministry and the health ministry are emphasizing that the trips should be done under the supervision of the two ministries.

Back in August, Mounesan said that Iran’s travel sector has suffered a loss of 12 trillion rials (some $2.85 billion at the official rate of 42,000 rials) since the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic.

He also noted that the coronavirus pandemic should not bring traveling to a complete standstill. “Corona is a fact, but can the virus stop tourism? Certainly not. For us, the coronavirus is a new experience in dealing with crises that teaches tourism experts around the world how to deal with such a disaster, and thankfully governments are turning this into an opportunity for better planning.”

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 (started March 21, 2019).

ABU/MG