European and American tourist visits to Iran "almost halved"

The head of the Iranian Tour Operators Association says that in the second half of the year, despite the price of traveling to Iran having been halved, the number of European and American tourists has decreased by 42 percent "due to threats and sanctions."

Ebrahim Pourfaraj told ISNA that domestic agencies have reduced travel rates to Iran by about 56 percent due to currency fluctuations. He explained that the price reduction is because foreign agencies are aware of the currency situation in Iran and "they will protest if the prices are not real and balanced."

Mr. Pourfaraj described the "negative comments against Iran" as the reason for creating a "wave of concern outside the borders," and in another part of his interview with ISNA, he spoke of a 42 percent decrease in European and American tourists.

He has also criticized the state of tourism advertising by Iran, saying that these advertisements are referred to the Iranian Broadcasting Corporation, "while the audience of this media is not our target audience. These advertisements must be carried out on large and effective networks in order to have an impact."

The head of the Iranian Tour Operators Association did not specify who wanted to run these advertisements on Iranian state television, and it is not clear why government officials consider the Islamic Republic's Radio and Television as a tool for promoting travel to Iran in other countries.

At the same time, Mr. Pourfaraj, the head of the Iranian Cultural Heritage and Tourism Organization, said that the number of regional tourists "has grown by 51 percent."

Although the head of the Iranian Tour Operators Association has spoken of a decline in the number of European tourists, Ali Asghar Monesan, head of the Cultural Heritage Organization, has "assurance" that their number will also "grow."

Mr. Monsan says, without providing specific explanations, "In the near future, Europeans will also realize that the country's current problems are economic and have nothing to do with security issues."

Currently, Iran, with 22 cultural/historical centers registered on the UNESCO World Heritage List, and the Lut Desert on the list of natural sites and centers, ranks tenth among countries in the world, alongside the United States; above Japan, Brazil, Australia, Greece, and Turkey. Italy, China, and Spain are at the top of the list.

However, over the past four decades, tourism has not been very prosperous in Iran, especially compared to countries that, according to the United Nations research and cultural organization, have many centers for sightseeing and travel.

Various issues and problems are mentioned regarding the Iranian government's inability to attract foreign tourists; from the perception of Iran among citizens of other countries, inadequate advertising and lack of advertising, resulting in unfamiliarity among foreign tourists, "diplomatic challenges" to issues such as mandatory veils, a shortage of hotels, or the lack of recreational and entertainment centers common in many countries around the world.

Source: Radio Farda