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Iran, which largely abstained through Western tourists, is striving to attract visitors from wealthy Gulf Arab states and other neighboring countries to cheer up its sanctions-hit economy.
The Islamic Republic is also attracting more from Russia and China to its ancient sites dating back to the Persian Empire and the mythical Silk Road, according to industry figures.
Iran’s diplomatic thaw negotiated through Beijing this year with Saudi Arabia has paved the way for direct flights, and Tehran also has closer ties with other countries, from Egypt to Morocco.
The slow but steady update can be frozen at major tourist sites where you can now hear more visitors speaking in English, French or German, but also Arabic, Chinese and Russian.
“In the past, we used to get a lot of European tourists, but now those numbers have dropped dramatically,” said Hamid Shateri, 46, a business owner in Tehran.
Europeans are “afraid of Iran,” he said, after years of tensions over the country’s disputed nuclear program and warnings from the Western government that opposes going there.
“Today, most of Iran’s ancient sites and breathtaking landscapes, Chinese and Russian, and Arab tourists, especially from Iraq, come to attend devout ceremonies. “
Iran has long attracted foreigners with its former glory, adding the cities of Shiraz, Isfahan and Mashhad and its 2500-year-old Persepolis complex.
It has deserts and snow-capped mountains as Gulf and Caspian Sea coasts, and prides itself on its cuisine and hospitality culture.
A steady flow of European visitors has long continued to arrive, despite the strict dress code for women and bans on alcohol and nightlife after the 1979 Islamic Revolution.
As the largest Shiite Muslim power, Iran also welcomes a steady stream of pilgrims, many of whom come from neighboring Iraq, to its ancient sanctuary cities of Mashhad and Qom.
There were high hopes for a lucrative stimulus for tourism after Iran and major powers reached a historic deal in 2015 to curb their nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief.
But those hopes were dashed 3 years later when then-US President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew from the deal.
The bad news has multiplied since then, the Covid pandemic that hit Iran early and hard.
Last year, mass protests rocked the country, sparked by the death of Mahsa Amini after she was arrested for allegedly violating dress rules, before the government cracked down on female-led “riots” that blamed hostile forces abroad.
Iran has also jailed several Europeans, prompting several Western countries to warn their citizens that they oppose anyone there, with many mentioning the threat of “arbitrary detention. “
Last year, Iran attracted 4. 1 million foreigners, less than the 2019 figure and accounting for just 0. 4 percent of global tourist travel, according to the United Nations World Tourism Organization.
Tehran has now begun an effort to rebuild tourism, and has added the attraction of other people from the UAE and Qatar to the islands in the Gulf of Kish and Qeshm, which offer beaches, luxury hotels and affordable shopping.
Iran has also sought to attract more visitors from neighboring Armenia and Azerbaijan, despite recent tensions between Baku and Tehran.
“Holding tourism exhibitions in other countries, advertising in their media and organizing events abroad are all part of tourism promotion programs,” said Majid Kiani, executive director of Aras Free Zone in northwestern Iran.
Last month, UNESCO added the region’s colorful macaw rock formations to its network of geoparks.
The domain around the geological park, also praised for its varied ecosystem, welcomed “more than 1. 2 million tourists” in Nowruz’s New Year’s season this year, Kiani said.
Armenians now the ninth-century monastery of St. Stepanos, a UNESCO World Heritage Site with brilliant artwork of biblical scenes and ornate facades.
“Many Armenian tourists come to the historic church,” said local Archbishop Krikor Chiftjian, prelate of the diocese of Iran’s eastern and western provinces of Azerbaijan.
Tourism analyst Babak Babali said there was a lot of potential, given that in the 2010s, Azerbaijanis visited the region to take care of themselves, creating “a vital medical tourism industry. “
More broadly, some observers see signs of easing tensions, pointing to Iran’s recent release of several European prisoners, while others remain detained.
Babali said that while “these measures sign Tehran’s goal of reducing tensions, it will be some time before this is reflected in the number of tourists from Europe. “
Shateri, Tehran’s tour guide, also said Iran still has some way to go before Western visitors return in large numbers.
“Iran wishes to maintain its foreign relations and show globally that it has a non-violent nature if it wants to attract more tourists,” he said.