TEHRAN – Two groups of travel trade partners, consisting of 17 travel agencies from Iran and UAE, recently undertook a familiarization tour hosted by Tourism Malaysia as part of the campaign to promote Malaysia’s colorful tourist destinations and publicize its attractions.

In cooperation with Air Arabia, the first batch was flown from Iran from Tehran to Kuala Lumpur via Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates, the Financial Tribune reported.

The second trip involved nine UAE travel agents, including Air Arabia representatives, who traveled from Sharjah to Kuala Lumpur for an itinerary scheduled from June 5 to 10.

Last year, foreign tourists from Iran and the United Arab Emirates registered 7,570 and 3,230 arrivals in Malaysia, respectively, compared to 46,559 and 11,174 arrivals before the pandemic in 1999. There are currently three weekly Air Arabia direct flights from Sharjah to Kuala Lumpur with a seating capacity of 1,944 seats.

A heaven for sightseers and nature lovers, 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 26 are inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage list. Under the 2025 Tourism Vision Plan, Iran aims to increase the number of tourist arrivals from 4.8 million in 2014 to 20 million in 2025.

AFM