Foreign tourists back in Iran amid Covid downward trend

Deputy Minister of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts for touristic affairs Ali Asghar Shalbafan wrote on his Instagram account on Friday that the National Headquarters for Corona Disease Management voted for issuing visas for tourists; then, the first group of foreign tourists arrived in Iran from Russia.

The deputy minister described the conveyance of new regulations for hosting foreign tourists to 31 provinces in Iran as a move in line with showing proper hospitality, writing that all governmental and private sectors are tasked with mobilizing their capabilities to provide foreign tourists with appropriate hospitality.

Russian tourists – the first foreign tourists from the outbreak of coronavirus in Iran – are scheduled to visit Iranian tourist attractions while observing all health protocols.

According to chtn.ir, the Russian tourists and tour guides have been allowed to travel to Iran following an agreement between Iran’s Ministry of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts and the Federal Agency for Tourism of the Russian Federation (Rostourism); so, they arrived in Tehran Thursday night.

The two countries had reached the consensus to develop tourism cooperation and hold tours, but the spread of COVID-19 pandemic stopped the plan.
The Russian tourists are going to stay in Iran for a week and visit Kerman, Shiraz and Isfahan as well as Lut Star eco camp.

Ezzatollah Zarghami, Minister of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts, played a key role in lifting visa ban for foreign tourists.