Baku, Azerbaijan, August 30
By Khalid Kazimov -- Trend:
Iran receives five million tourists a year and makes $7 billion on them, Director of Cultural Heritage, Handicraft, and Tourism Organization Masoud Soltanifar said.
He added Iran plans to have 20 million tourists and revenue of $25 to $30 million a year by 2025, IRIB news agency reported August 29.
He said according to international reports, there are some 800,000-1,000,000 historical sites in Iran, only 150,000 of which have been identified by the government.
Of those 150,000 only 31,300 sites have been nationally registered, he noted.
UNESCO has registered 19 Iranian historical sites and there are 60 other sites under temporary registration.
According to Soltanifar, 140 to 150 billion rials (each 2990 rials making 1 USD) are needed each year to repair and maintain Iran's historical sites, however each year only five percent of that is given to the organization, he regretted.
He said the government is trying to make the country a regional tourism hub, especially regarding religious tourism.
According to measures undertaken by the Iranian government to facilitate tourist visits, a 14 percent rise in visa issues has been achieved in the current year.
A recent report said hotel groups in the Gulf Arab states are seeking to boost their portfolios in Iran as they see the country emerging as the most lucrative hospitality development market.
International hoteliers are heartened by the 2025 plan and spurred by the recent finalization of nuclear talks, they see the ground being paved for expansion of the country's infrastructure and industrial base.
According to Iranian officials, hotel groups from Germany, Greece, South Korea and Singapore have recently traveled to Iran for talks.
Europe's largest hotel group Accor is reportedly building two four-star hotels at Imam Khomeini International Airport outside the Iranian capital.
The UAE-based Rotana plans to open its five-star 600-room hotel in Tehran this year and another in the pilgrimage city of Mashhad.
Head of the Iran Touring and Tourism Investment Company (ITTIC) Mohsen Qarib has said the country has to prepare for a "tsunami" of foreign tourists. But the torrent is on course to pose serious challenges, given Iran's underdeveloped hospitality market.