Iran’s Cultural Heritage Minister: If Corona Continues, Iranian Tourism Will Be Destroyed

Iran’s Minister of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts says that if coronavirus-related restrictions continue, all tourism investments in the country will be “destroyed”.

Ali Asghar Mounesan said on Wednesday, September 16, that with the continuation of current conditions, “tourism operators will go bankrupt and will no longer be able to recover”.

He also announced a meeting with Saeid Namaki, the Minister of Health, within the next week to address travel restrictions.

This Iranian tourism industry official added that to prevent the destruction of this industry in Iran, instead of “don’t travel” recommendations, emphasis should be placed on “smart and responsible travel”.

Iran’s tourism industry, which is considered a nascent sector, has been severely damaged by the spread of the coronavirus.

Although accurate and updated statistics on the extent of these losses have not been released, according to the ISNA news agency, by at least April of this year, this industry had suffered 3,800 billion tomans in damages.

The Ministry of Industry, Mining and Trade has identified tourism-related jobs as among those that have suffered the most damage from corona.

Even before the outbreak of coronavirus, Iran’s tourism industry had been operating slowly and with numerous challenges due to international sanctions, political disputes and social restrictions, compared to its high potential.

Source: Radio Farda