Shunned by Western Tourists, Iran Looks To Attract Visitors From Its Neighbors
Iran, largely shunned by Western tourists, is making a push to attract visitors from wealthy Gulf Arab states and other nearby countries to boost its sanctions-hit economy. The Islamic Republic is also drawing more visitors from Russia and China to its ancient sites that date back to the Persian empire and the fabled Silk Road, industry figures say.
Iran’s Beijing-brokered diplomatic thaw this year with Saudi Arabia paved the way for direct flights, and Tehran is also seeking closer ties with other countries from Egypt to Morocco. The slow but steady change is noticeable at major tourist sites where more visitors can now be heard speaking not English, French or German, but Arabic, Chinese and Russian.
“In the past, we were receiving many tourists from Europe but now those numbers have seen a sharp decline,” said one Tehran travel agency owner, 46-year-old Hamid Shateri. Europeans are “afraid of visiting Iran,” he said, after years of tensions over the country’s contested nuclear program and after Western government warnings against travelling there.
“These days, mostly Chinese and Russian people visit Iran’s historical sites and spectacular scenery and Arab tourists, especially from Iraq, come to attend religious ceremonies.”
Years of isolation
Iran has long attracted foreign visitors with its ancient splendours including the cities of Shiraz, Isfahan and Mashhad and its 2,500-year-old Persepolis complex.
As the largest Shiite Muslim power, Iran also hosts a steady stream of religious pilgrims, many from neighbouring Iraq, to its ancient shrine cities of Mashhad and Qom.
Tehran has now launched a push to rebuild tourism, including by drawing people from the United Arab Emirates and Qatar to the Gulf islands of Kish and Qeshm, which boast beaches, luxury hotels and cheap shopping.
Renewed push
Iran has also sought to attract more visitors from neighbouring Armenia and Azerbaijan, despite recent tensions between Baku and Tehran.
“Setting up tourism exhibitions in other countries, advertising through their media and hosting international events are among the programs to promote tourism,” said Majid Kiani, the CEO of northwest Iran’s Aras Free Zone.
UNESCO last month added the region’s colourful Aras rock formations to its Global Geoparks network. The area around the geological park, also hailed for its diverse ecosystem, hosted “more than 1.2 million tourists” during this year’s Nowruz new year season, Kiani said.
