Azernews.Az

By Nigar Eyvazova

With improved political and economic relations, Iran sees tourism industry a source for generating wealth, and is seeking to make the best use of the nuclear deal signed in January 2016.

Steady, but quite a big increase is recorded in the number of foreign tourists visiting the country as Iran and world powers began implementing the landmark nuclear deal that lifted sanctions in return for curbs on Iran's nuclear program.

The number of European tourists coming to Iran increased by 50 percent after the implementation of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), according to Zahra Ahmadipour, head of Iran’s Cultural Heritage, Handicraft and Tourism Organization.

Many foreign media outlets introduced Iran as one of the top three tourist destinations in 2016, Trend cited Ahmadipour as saying on January 24.

Over the past year, about 20 delegations from various countries have visited Iran to seek opportunities for building hotels, Ahmadipour said, adding currently four or five countries are in serious negotiations with Iran over cooperation in the hospitality sector.

"I can say this much that by March some good things will happen. In two or three weeks the representatives of some very famous hotel brands are also visiting Tehran," she added, noting that French companies are the pioneers in the talks.

Ahmadipour also said Iran is pursuing efforts to ease visa conditions with as many countries as possible. "We have visa waiver with 37 countries. We recently increased the visa validity from 15 to 90 days. Also, we are in talks to bilaterally ease visa conditions for tourist groups, she added.

The official previously said that Iran needs to breathe fresh air into the sector in order to achieve sustainable growth and grasp boom in the number of foreign arrivals.

In July 2016, Iran increased its visa on arrival extension from 1 month to 3 months, while citizens of 190 countries can obtain visa on arrival at the country’s airports with one-month validation.

The Iranian tourism industry began to experience a rebirth after Hassan Rouhani was elected president in July 2013. His administration has taken steps to fulfill its election promise to boost tourism. In 2014, Iran hosted more than 5 million foreign tourists, bringing in some $7.5 billion in revenues.

In 2015, official figures put the number of incoming tourists at more than 5.2 million, generating over $8 billion.

Iran is home to 19 UNESCO-registered sites, including the ancient city of Bisotun. A country rich in historical and cultural treasures, Iran seeks to attract foreign investment and boost the badly-hit tourism industry.

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