Young tourists who travel to Iran and  locate in cheap hostels

                                           New generation of Iranian hostels attract younger tourists

Tourism is one of the most important sectors of the Iranian economy which, following the abolition of the international sanctions last year, underwent rapid growth within the framework of the 2015 Atomic Energy Convention.
As the Iranian tourism industry grows, a new generation of hostels that younger travelers encounter around the country emerges.

With the rise of arriving travelers, the development and growth of the Iranian tourism industry have become one of the main priorities of the administration of President Hassan Rouhani. The Rural Tourism Vision 2025 plan outlines the goal of increasing the country’s share of international tourists in the world from 0.9% in 2004 to 1.5% by 2025, representing 20 million visitors and $ 30 billion annual revenue. According to Iranian officials, more than 6 million foreign tourists visited the country in the previous Iranian calendar year, which ended on March 20 and generated about $ 8 billion in sales.

While the average age of tourists visiting Iran was about 60, officials say the average age has fallen between 45 and 50, as more young travelers visit the country. In fact, Iran, which has been designated by the World Economic Forum as the world’s cheapest destination in three consecutive semi-annual reports, has become a new destination for backpackers who prefer to travel at a lower cost and avoid luxury hotels and services.

In this regard, hostels offering hospitality services at a cheaper standard and lower costs than hotels are of interest to investors and tourists alike.

The first permanent hostel was founded in Germany in 1912 and soon became popular elsewhere. Although these hostels are widespread around the world, they are still established in their childhood in Iran, with only a few in the capital, Tehran and major tourist cities in recent years.

Jalal Rashedi, the founder and CEO of the Seven Hostels Group, told Al-Monitor: “We started the first place in Tehran, which was in line with the internationally recognized standards of a typical hostel in terms of facilities and Vibe Theme on other cities such as Shiraz, Esfahan, Alamut and also extended to a small town near Dizin Ski Resort. “

He said that Seven Hostels Group began creating a domestic platform for booking hostels in Iran through English-language websites to facilitate the reservation of tours and also transportation services.

The increase in the number of young foreign tourists visiting Iran is an important factor in the growing number of hostels around the country. While Iran with an insufficient number of high-standard hotels, cheaper, traditional accommodation is not successful in attracting foreign tourists.

Irans traditional budget accommodation, known as “mosaferkhaneh” (traveler’s house), has long been used by locals. These facilities are widely used in religious cities such as Qom, Mashhad and Shiraz, where pilgrims travel from all walks of life to visit sacred sites. In a mosaferkhaneh, guests can rent a room that has one or more beds, each room has either a bathroom and a kitchen or sharing such facilities with other rooms.

But despite a large number of these traditional low-cost accommodations across Iran, they were rarely used by foreign travelers. “Mosaferkhanehs are not really popular among foreign tourists, they lack the young, lively and international atmosphere that you will enjoy in a typical hostel, and the best thing to stay in a youth hostel is to meet other young travelers from other countries and share stories And this is definitely something you can not experience with a typical mosaferkhaneh, “said Rashedi.

He added, “Iranian Mosaic Kings do not have proper websites in English and the tourists have no idea what to expect in these places.”

This is the reason why Golnar Zamani and Habibeh Fathi, young women who own “Hi Tehran Hostel”, believe that the easiest way to explain what is on offer is by simply labeling. “Hostels are internationally known by the backpackers and young travelers who create the majority of tourism these days,” said Golnar Al’s monitor.

The two entrepreneurs claim that the traditional, cheap accommodation of Iran is not properly presented to foreign tourists.

Iran completes ‘beauty link’ in North-South trade corridor

Iran is preparing to launch what could be the most beautiful railway in the country at the heart of an intercontinental multimodal transport project.

A 205-kilometer railway from Qazvin to Rasht in northern Iran is nearing completion and could be among the last parts of a rail link through which Russia would send its goods to Mumbai, India, Including Iran.

A report by the Iranian news agency IRNA said the railway could increase the number of tourists visiting Gilan province in northern Iran.

Situated on the shores of the Caspian Sea, Gilan is a popular destination for Iranian travelers – especially during the summer holidays and the New Year. Official figures show that it welcomes more than 30 million visitors each year.

The construction of the Qazvin-Rasht railway is already considered one of the most difficult rail projects in Iran given the wide variety of terrain. An important part of the challenge was to dig 25 kilometers of tunnels and build about 8 kilometers of bridges.

In Gilan, it was necessary to take him to the jungles and over the rice fields and rivers to minimize the damage to the environment.

An extension to the northern port city of Bandar Anzali would lead passengers to the shores of the Caspian and would also offer a return trip inland for cargo destined for domestic markets or Mumbai through the port of the Persian Gulf of Bandar Abbas. Another extension of Rasht would go to Astara in Azerbaijan.

Previously, Abbas Akhoundi, Iranian Minister of Roads and Urban Development, said the Qazvin-Rasht rail link would be ready by the end of the summer.

The North-South International Transport Corridor (NSTC), a multi-model road linking India and the Middle East to the Caucasus, Central Asia, and Europe, is encouraged to significantly reduce costs and travel time and Stimulate trade.

The route of the ship, the road, and the railway connects Mumbai from India to the Iranian port of Bander Abbas and Baku in Azerbaijan as well as Astrakhan, Moscow and St. Petersburg in Russia before extending to the Northern Europe and Scandinavia.

Iran highlights the arrival of 6.5 million foreign tourists this year

Iran aims to attract some 6.5 million foreign travelers by the end of the current calendar year 1396 (March 20, 2018), but the country’s tourism infrastructure and public services need to be improved, Responsible for tourism. In 1395, some 5.5 million travelers visited Iran, recovering about $ 8 billion for the country, said IRNA.

“With proper planning and development of the infrastructure, it is possible to achieve our goals,” said Morteza Rahmani Movahhed, MP for Tourism of the Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicraft Organization.

“However, it takes time to clean up the county’s international image, which has been tarnished by some Western outlets for years,” the official said.

Following a historic nuclear deal, Tehran and the world powers won in 2015, Iran is repeatedly named as a hot travel destination by a circle of international media in terms of rich history, picturesque landscapes, Traditions, cooking and welcoming people.

Iran’s brilliant goal is to attract 20 million foreign travelers each year by 2025. However, with only eight years to go, according to some experts, the target seems to be somewhat unfeasible.

At present, European travelers, including France, Italy and Germany, who represent the majority of Western tourists, can now obtain visas upon arrival in Tehran and Mingle with tourists from China, Japan and other countries.

The government also announced plans to create sufficient accommodation and transportation for the growing number of tourists. There is a plan to increase the number of upscale hotels from 130 to over 1,000 in 10 years.