TEHRAN–Qatar has launched a new office in Tehran in a bid to facilitate travel for the World Cup spectators.

The new office in Iran is the latest addition to Qatar Tourism’s international network of representative offices which have also set foot in Australia, India, China, and the U.S., Doha News reported on Wednesday.

The office is tasked to oversee a range of marketing initiatives, including tour operator partnerships, destination training for travel agents, media visits, and advertising, all of which will place Qatar as an option for travelers from Iran for its “cosmopolitan and culturally” diverse experience, the report said.

“Qatar Tourism’s choice in the location of its latest office opening is a testament to the decades-long cultural and trade ties between the two countries. Iran is one of 15 target markets identified by Qatar Tourism as a primary source for tourists looking to relax, rejuvenate and soak in some culture,” said Berthold Trenkel, COO of Qatar Tourism.

Weekly direct flights between Doha and different Iranian cities, namely Tehran, Shiraz, Mashhad, and Isfahan, which usually take up less than three hours, provide an added layer of convenience to keen travelers.

Iranian passport holders are also granted visa-free entry, which exempts Iranian nationals from any prior visa requirement. Instead, citizens can opt to obtain a visa waiver upon arrival to Qatar. It will be valid for 30 days from the date of issuance, which can even be extended for an additional 30 days.

However, a hotel reservation via the Discover Qatar platform covering the entirety of the stay must be confirmed.

Speaking on the returning benefits of the representative office in Iran, Trenkel added it “will help support Qatar Tourism’s strategic goals to increase the number of visitors to Qatar by threefold, increase spending by three to four times, and grow the GDP contribution of the tourism sector to 12% by 2030.”

The two Persian Gulf countries have agreed to increase their bilateral efforts in the tourism and transportation sector, especially during the 2022 FIFA World Cup in November.

Qatar inked several cooperation agreements in April, which mainly covered areas of air transportation and the major football tournament.

The agreements included documents previously signed during Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi’s visit to Qatar in February; three bilateral documents in the aviation sector, an agreement in maritime transportation, and a document detailing cooperation grounds regarding the World Cup. A total of six documents were either activated or newly inked, according to IRNA.

Furthermore, during the meeting between Iran’s Minister of Roads and Urban Development Rostam Qasemi and Qatar’s Minister of Transport and Communications Jassim bin Saif AlSulaiti, discussions about launching regular shipping lines between Iranian and Qatari ports were emphasized.

A consented arrangement included tasks to connect Doha Flight Information Region, which was laid out as per the International Civil Aviation Organization goal, with Iran's flying data domain.

In addition, Iran’s Foreign Ministry also proposed a visa-free plan to enable the entry of FIFA World Cup visitors to Tehran without charge, Mehr reported.

The expected free-of-charge visa plan would potentially cover nationals whose countries have qualified for the World Cup. This, however, excludes passport carriers of the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Somalia, and Sri Lanka.

Some 400 direct flights from Iran’s Kish Island to Qatar are also scheduled to be launched in conjunction with the World Cup 2022, in a bid to further expand Iran’s tourism arm.

The World Cup is viewed as a fresh opportunity to promote Iran as a regional touristic hub and a chance to confront ‘Iranophobia’ sentiments. The World Cup is a “significant opportunity to represent the true face of Iran by efforts to dwindle the so-called anti-Iranian sentiments,” Iran’s Deputy Tourism Minister said earlier this year.

AM