TEHRAN – Citizens from the neighboring countries have been the main source of tourism for Iran since coronavirus restrictions were eased several months ago, the deputy tourism minister Ali-Asghar Shalbafian has said. He made the remarks at the World Tourism Industry Conference, which was held in Seoul, South Korea on June 23, ISNA reported on Tuesday. “A turning point in the country’s tourism trend in the post-coronavirus period is the welcoming of tourists from neighboring countries,” he explained. Iran’s tourism has also experienced a boom in domestic tourism and a large number of Iranian citizens traveling during the Persian new year holiday (Noruz), the increase in incoming tourists following the re-issuance of visas, and the facilitation of the required conditions for tourists in post-coronavirus time, the official added. A number of executive measures were taken during the pandemic to ensure tourism survival, including mass vaccination against the coronavirus which lead to reducing the death rate of coronavirus patients, and managing and supporting tourism activists, he noted. As one focus of the conference was ecotourism, Shalbafian also discussed the activities of Iran’s National Committee on Ecotourism, Iran's approach to tourism development using natural resources, and success in establishing eco-lodges across the country.Last year the tourism ministry announced that the tourism of the country was growing before the corona outbreak, its revenues reached $11.7 billion in 2019, which accounted for 2.8% of GDP, nearing the average share of tourism in the world GDP, which was 3.2 percent.Iran was ranked as the second fastest-growing country in tourism based on data compiled by the World Tourism Organization.Experts expect Iran to achieve a tourism boom after the coronavirus is contained, believing its impact would be temporary and short-lived for a country that ranked the third fastest-growing tourism destination in 2019.The Islamic Republic expects to reap a bonanza from its numerous tourist spots such as bazaars, museums, mosques, bridges, bathhouses, madrasas, mausoleums, churches, towers, and mansions, of which 26 are inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage list.

Under the 2025 Tourism Vision Plan, Iran aims to increase the number of tourist arrivals from 4.8 million in 2014 to 20 million in 2025.ABU/AFM