TEHRAN – An agreement between Iran and Russia to waive visas is one step closer to implementation, Iran’s ambassador to Moscow has said. 

Travelers from Iran and Russia can soon benefit from the previously-inked visa waiver program, Kazem Jalali said on Tuesday. 

Iran is currently waiting for the response from Russia regarding the cancellation of visas between Moscow and Tehran in 2023, he explained. 

In order to kick-start this process, Tehran has also proposed to Moscow that visas for businessmen and drivers, who play an important role in trade, be revoked, he noted. 

The agreement was initially signed by former Iranian President Hassan Rouhani and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in 2017.

Earlier this month, Mehr reported that Russian tourists are increasingly choosing Iran as a vacation destination these days.

There has been a surge of Russian tourists in Iran as a result of international sanctions against Russia, the report added. 

Several factors have contributed to Russia’s limited domestic and foreign tourism these days, including a recent war with Ukraine that has adversely affected the Russian tourism industry.

Travel restrictions to China, sanctions by the European Union, a negative image of Russia being presented in different countries and the ban on international cards such as Visa prevent Russia from expanding its tourism.

This has prompted Russian tourists to visit Asia and the Middle East instead, especially Iran as a popular tourist destination despite negative advertising.

Back in December, an Iranian tourism official announced that Iran’s tourism market is still unfamiliar to the majority of potential Russian travelers.

“Today, Russians [mainly] travel to [destinations such as] Dubai and Turkey for tourism, and one of our problems is that the Iranian market is not well known to them.”

The official expressed hope to reduce the gap by organizing FAM tours, B2B meetings, and forums to be attended by tourism insiders from the two countries.

Earlier in September, tourism insiders and officials from the two countries exchanged views on education, hotel management, holding joint exhibitions, and introducing tours and investments, among other issues.

The Head of the Iranian Tour Operators Association Ebrahim Pourfaraj believes the majority of potential Russian travelers are unaware of the vast tourist attractions that exist in every corner of Iran. “The fact is that Iran’s political and economic relations with Russia are considered as good, but this has nothing to do with attracting tourists because it is directly connected with the Russian people. It is the Russian people who must choose Iran as their destination.”

Last year, an Iranian travel expert said many Russian tourists were eager to travel to Iran, an Iranian travel expert said on Monday, recounting his Russian counterparts. “Many [potential] Russian travelers are motivated to visit novel and lesser-known destinations such as Iran that could be a safe and attractive destination,” said Mostafa Sarvari, who presided over the tourism marketing and advertising office of the Iranian Tour Operators Association.

The Islamic Republic 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 26 are inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage list.

ABU/