TEHRAN–On Sunday, Pakistan’s Karachi hosted a business-to-business (B2B) meeting between Iranian travel insiders and counterparts from Pakistan to boost and promote religious tourism.

Tourism between the two countries was discussed during the meeting along with removing obstacles and identifying problems, CHTN reported on Monday.

Other issues were also discussed during this meeting, including providing the necessary infrastructure in the transportation sector, extending insurance coverage, visa issuance obstacles, and accepting the PCR test for travelers, the report added.

As a result of the meeting, the Iranian private tourism sector expressed its strengths and capabilities in various areas and the Pakistani side raised its challenges and obstacles.

Due to Pakistan’s role in the development of tourism as one of the five target countries of Iran, solving the challenges between the two countries is of great importance.

Iran is home to hundreds of shrines, Imamzadehs, mausoleums, churches, and even fire temples amongst other religious destinations which are dedicated to different faiths. Among the top destinations for international tourists to Iran are the religious cities of Mashhad, Qom, Shiraz, and the capital Tehran. These cities are respectively home to the holy shrines of Imam Reza, the eighth Imam of Shia Muslims; his sister Hazrat Masumeh (SA); his brothers Ahmad and Mohammad; as well as the late founder of the Islamic Revolution Imam Rouhollah Khomeini.

A unique time for visiting Iran for religious tourists is during the first ten days of the lunar month of Muharram, when Iranians, who are mostly Shia Muslims, hold special ceremonies to commemorate the martyrdom anniversary of Imam Hussein (AS), the grandson of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) and his 72 loyal companions.
 
Based on available data, some 700,000 Pakistani pilgrims annually traveled to Mashhad to visit the holy shrine of Imam Reza (AS) before the coronavirus outbreak. Mashhad is the prime destination for Pakistani travelers who come to go on pilgrimage to the shrine of the eighth Shia Imam.
 
According to official data, the holy shrine of Imam Reza (AS) hosts an average number of 500,000 pilgrims each day.

ABU/AM