TEHRAN – “Traveling to Iran sheds light on the real meaning of the word; Persian”, mentioned by a Chinese social media influencer who recently visited the country, participating in a Fam Tour called “Salam Iran”.

Pointing to the online information insufficiency about Iran, Zhao Weihong stated that some people are introducing Iran in an inaccurate way on social media platforms, which causes pessimism toward paying a visit to this culturally rich country among Chinese people.

“During a visit to Iran, we faced the satisfying reality which was the complete opposite of available online information,” according to the famous influencer.

“When you visit Iran personally and get to know the Persian Empire's history, it comes to light how inadequate the knowledge provided by Chinese online platforms,” Zhao Weihong noted.

The familiarization tour is part of Iran’s tourism ministry’s efforts to introduce the country’s rich tourist spots and its hospitable people to foreign tourists.

Addressing the Iranian people as the most attractive aspect of the trip, the Chinese influencer mentioned that Iran is home to numerous fascinating cultures and lifestyles which could serve as the most considerable competitive advantage for the country in the tourism field.

Zhao also referred to a documentary about Zahedan’s people as one of the most motivating factors for him to be enthusiastic about paying a visit to Iran.

Earlier this year, a group comprising 10 well-known Chinese influencers with a slogan of nature and climate diversity had a two-day trip to Hormozgan Province, located in the south part of Iran, regarding creating content as a part of “Iran Salam” familiarization tours to introduce Iran to foreign tourists.

Last October, Deputy Tourism Minister Ali-Asghar Shalbafian said Chinese arrivals in Iran had been soaring at a faster pace even when compared to pre-pandemic levels.

“The demand for visiting Iran has been soaring among Chinese nationals,” Shalbafian said.

He made the remarks in a meeting with his Chinese counterpart Lu Ying Chuang held in Tehran’s Sa’dabad historical complex.

Shalbafian said some 50,000 travelers from China visited the Islamic Republic during the first seven months of the year (started on March 21).

In a comparison with the same period in the year 1398 (started in Mar. 2019), the official said: “Chinese arrivals in the current year have been higher than that in 98, though the number of flights has almost halved.”