Iran – “the bright star with big tourism potential”
The FINANCIAL – The television news of centrifuges, nuclear power plants and barred negotiations has certainly made the visions of the beautiful beaches on the Caspian Sea, the sun-drenched islands in the Persian Gulf and the cultural sites – Iran is back On the tourist map, according to the regional Leading observers.

There are major challenges, but the decision of many countries to abolish sanctions under the Atomic Energy Agreement has opened up investor potentials like nowhere else.

“Iran is a bright star,” says Nikola Kosutic, Research Director for the Middle East at Euromonitor, the respected international analyst. “The potential is enormous, considering where they are now and what they could achieve in the near future.” Iran is likely to become the leading tourism market in the Middle East and North Africa, provided the infrastructure is capable of developing and coping with changes. “
The full report by Euromonitor International on travel and tourism in Iran outlines the road to the future and the threats of reaching the country’s goal of achieving a huge increase in tourists to $ 35 billion per year by 2025 . Tourism currently less than eight billion dollars.
The report will be a focal point for the opening of the Iran Hotel & Tourism Investment Conference (IHTIC) organized by Bench Events on the 7th – February – a new high-level meeting of international investors, consultants and local leaders in the hotel industry, who come together to meet and discuss how the development of the country’s tourism sector.
Iran offers a diversity that is unique in the region, according to the report. Mixing Persian and Arab cultures, the list of attractions is long: from the great city of Isfahan, the mountains of Damavand, the religious tourism site of Mashhad, and the island of Kish While the US has still imposed sanctions, hotel groups based outside the US have already begun to intervene. The French Accor group was the first in 2016. Others follow, including the UAE Rotana and Spain’s Melia. It is expected that by 2018, Iran will have six different international brands.

In response, the country is striving to develop its infrastructure including airport capacities in Tehran, Isfahan, Tabriz, Mashhad and Shiraz. Iranian Airlines has bought more aircraft as international carriers are focusing on the market, including British Airways, which recently launched daily flights to Tehran.
But there are weaknesses, according to the Euromonitor report. Airport capacity is still limited and more investment is required. The hotel market is massive under supply often with poorly trained staff. And Internet infrastructure – especially online payment systems – is underdeveloped as a result of bank transactions. Online sales are declining, but pick up quickly. The slow but gradual improvement of the domestic currency of Iran also helps.
The report says the current Iranian government wants to promote international tourism – apart from everything else, it needs the revenue. It supports – politically and financially – an organization of cultural heritage for the coordination of 160 projects, including hotels. And it is advertising abroad.
But in many international eyes, Iran remains at the centre of regional unrest of which it is a key player. Potential tourists will have to be convinced.
Nikola Kosutic believes that she can be. With culture, ecotourism and skiing, there are attractions about age groups. Enough to compete against many regional goals, especially Egypt, Dubai, Oman and Turkey, the latter of which was recently confronted with an increase in terrorism. Iran is a safe target.
The largest source markets are Iraq and Azerbaijan at the moment, but the strongest growth has come from countries in Europe, and the Americans are also returning after decades of Iranian isolation. Nikola predicts that Russians will also arrive in large numbers. Visa procedures are relaxed – Iran has begun 30-day visas for tourists from 58 countries on arrival.
It is not so easy for investors. A reliable local partner – to navigate bureaucracy, rivalry and even corruption – is crucial. Without one, the task is impossible

Foreign Tourists in Iranian Traditional Medicine Centres

Iran intends to present its traditional medicine to the world by founding specialized health centres.

For a long time, Iran is a health tourism destination for foreign people who wanted to do cosmetic surgeries, or to be treated for refractive disorders, infertility, etc.
Now, Iran wants to present its traditional medicine through the establishment of dedicated health care centers where people can undergo traditional treatments and buy the herbal medicines they need.
“Foreign health tourists sign up where the Iranian patients are doing.You are usually less aware of such a science, some of whom have already heard of Iranian methods of breathing, apitherapy and leech therapy,” said Mohammad Panahi, the general director of the Department of Health Tourism In Iran’s cultural heritage, crafts and tourism organization (ICHTO).
According to a report from the Iranian newspaper “Farsi”, he said: “There should be standards for the supply of medicinal plants, pharmaceutical products and distillates to meet the needs of the customers, we should all try to gain the confidence of the patients, To expand the circle of health tourists who are relying on traditional medicine.
Panahi noted that while some tourists know nothing about Iranian traditional medicine, some others have tried it and are worried about the consequences, so they are looking for a fully certified center. Some tourists go to health centers just to gather information on the subject. The costs are the same for domestic and foreign patients.

The least harmful method
“Not only is the chemical drugs less known among humans, their combinations with each other and their use in amounts more or less than what is prescribed can also be harmful.” The process of traditional treatment takes more time but the herbal medicines in this Method are the least harmful, “Panahi noted
“Medicinal plants are prescribed in traditional medicine in the form of herbal medicinal products, made by new technologies or old medicines, but in any case they are prescribed by a traditional doctor,” he added.
“As people believe that there is no harm in consuming fruits and vegetables, they have confidence in traditional medicine,” added the manager of first Iranian traditional medicine centre.
“75% of patients who go to house doctors do not need medication or can be cured by self-prescribed drugs when they are trained in self-care,” said Mahmoud Khodadoust, the former Iranian Deputy Minister of Health and Medical Education in the Department of Traditional Medicine, during the opening of the province of Alborz traditional medicine center, which is the most prominent in the recovery of health tourists.
He added that Iranians tend to believe in traditional medicine, referring to the existence of 10,000 traditional physicians and 15,000 apothecaries.

40 states invited to ‘Mashhad 2017’ cultural event

More than 250 foreign guests and ambassadors from 40 countries have been invited to take part in ‘Mashhad 2017’ cultural event on January 24, 2017.
Saeed Sarabi, Director General of the Province of Khorasan Razavi, announced that 14 ministers from Islamic countries as well as 20 dignitaries, including former ministers and officials, were invited to the ceremonial ceremony in addition to the mayors of the big cities.
He said about 150 cultural personalities, media managers and directors from different ministries are among the domestic participants.
The official predicts that about 120 Islamic figures will participate in the cultural event.

Mashhad was chosen as the Asian cultural capital of the Islamic world in 2017 by the Islamic educational, scientific and cultural organization on Sunday.

Iran’s Mashhad, Capital of Islamic Culture in 2017

The city of Mashhad in northeastern Iran was selected as the Asian capital of Islamic culture in 2017, and preparations are underway to introduce the culture of the holy city into the world.

According to a Farsi report by the IRNA, the Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ISESCO) each year selects the main cities of Islamic culture in different regions. Iran’s Mashhad was chosen as capital in 2017.
Reza Salehi Amiri, the Iranian Minister of Culture and Islamic Leadership, announced that the preparations for the Islamic culture in Mashhad have officially begun. The ceremony takes place on 24 January in the presence of foreign authorities.
“This is an opportunity to introduce the Razavi culture – the legacy of Imam Reza, the eighth Imam of the Shiites – to the world,” he noted in a meeting with the Iranian leader in Mashhad Ayatollah Ahmad Alamolhoda.
“If the world wants safety, Mashhad is the safest place of the world in 2017. All Muslims can travel to this Iranian city,” he added.
“We have invited the leaders of the various Islamic sects to Mashhad for communication, interaction and unification,” he added, adding that the event in Iran will be presented with a focus on Mashhad.
He went on to say that festivals, conferences and ceremonies were to be held. The logo of Mashhad 2017 will be shown during interim games. Plus, boards at the entrance of the cities and venues will inform the people of the Islamic Culture Capital event.
“This year, we should try to attract tourists from all over the world to Mashhad,” Salehi Amiri noted, “And to make the event propitious for the people of Mashhad.”
He referred to the revival of the ancient Khorasan school among the aims of this event, saying that Iranians should find a new Islamic civilization on this geographic, historical point, as there has been no new civilization after the Safavid dynasty.