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Iranian Tour Operators Association pursues tourist visas resumption

Iranian Tour Operators Association is formulating a proposal for the resumption of tourist visas after months of suspension amid strict government measures to prevent the spread of coronavirus. “Iranian visas are being granted to medical tourists… and we have requested the Foreign Ministry to issue the same permits for the applicants of other tourism arenas,” ISNA quoted Ebrahim Pourfaraj who presides the association, as saying on Monday. “In a meeting with Seyyed Kazem Sajjadi, the deputy Foreign Minister for Consular, Parliamentary, and Expatriates Affairs, I was supposed to provide some information and a plan for re-issuing [tourist] visas,” he explained. The veteran expert has asked the government to issue tourist visas for the international applicants who have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19. “The Ministry of Health and the National Headquarters for Coronavirus Control can at least agree that the international tourists who have received the [second dose of] coronavirus vaccine would be allowed to enter Iran.” Last month, he lamented that the continuation of such a trend would result in losing international tourist markets more than before. “Or at least they should make it clear so that we can respond appropriately to foreign companies and tourists to not to miss the international tourist markets more than before.” Pourfaraj believes that the reasonable prices of Iran tours are expected to bring back the boom into the tourism sector of the country in the post coronavirus era. “Attractive tour plans are also being prepared for those who are eager to explore the historical attractions and natural wonders of the ancient country and want to experience a vacation here.” Pourfaraj also expressed hope that international tour operators and companies who have worked with their Iranian counterparts for years, would put Iran back on the world’s travel route again, considering the facilities they can get at cheaper prices than in other countries. Last November, the World Tourism Organization announced that international tourist arrivals to Iran plunged 72% during the first eight months of 2020 when compared to 2019, highlighting the severe impact of COVID-19 as the main factor. Cultural Heritage, Tourism, and Handicrafts Minister Ali-Asghar Mounesan in October warned that Iran’s cultural heritage and tourism will be in a critical situation if the crises caused by the outbreak of the coronavirus continue. Last August, Mounesan said that Iran’s tourism has suffered a loss of 12 trillion rials (some $2.85 billion) since the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic. Furthermore, the minister also noted that the coronavirus pandemic should not bring traveling to a complete standstill. “Corona is a fact, but can the virus stop tourism? Certainly not. For us, the coronavirus is a new experience in dealing with crises that teaches tourism experts around the world how to deal with such a disaster, and thankfully governments are turning this into an opportunity for better planning.” Smart and responsible traveling should replace "do not travel” recommendations, the minister stressed, adding: “In our country, Corona has caused problems in the tourism industry and the worrying point is the continuation of this trend.” “We are well aware of what the National Headquarters for Coronavirus Control proclaims [the health protocols], hence as a proposal, we have formulated some smart, responsible travel packages by the implementation of which we could have secure travels,” the minister said. He has repeatedly announced that his ministry is in full coordination with the Ministry of Health for strictly implementing health protocols in travel destinations, hospitably centers, and museums, amongst others, underlining that “people’s health is our priority.” The ancient land embraces hundreds of historical sites such as bazaars, museums, mosques, bridges, bathhouses, madrasas, mausoleums, churches, towers, and mansions, of which 24 being inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage list. Under the 2025 Tourism Vision Plan, the country aims to increase the number of tourist arrivals from 4.8 million in 2014 to 20 million in 2025.

Create: Apr 15, 2021 Edit: Apr 15, 2021 Regional News

Iran to resume UK flights as of May 6

Iran’s flag carrier IranAir is set to resume flights to and from the United Kingdom as of May 6 after months of suspension imposed to curb the spread of a novel coronavirus variant into the Islamic Republic. “IranAir will resume flights between Tehran and London on May 6,” IRNA quoted Hossein Jahani, who presides over the airline’s public relations department, as saying on Sunday. Jahani said the flights to London will be operated on Sundays and Thursdays every week due to the lifting of the COVID-19 restrictions in the UK. In December, the Islamic Republic halted flights to and from the United Kingdom, preliminary for two weeks, and then the ban was initially extended for one month at the discretion of the Health Ministry to prevent the transmission of the ‘British’ variant and to try to maintain public health. At that time, an ensuing wave of travel bans cut off UK travelers from much of Europe and other parts of the world. Some experts believed that there was no evidence the new variant was more deadly or would react differently to vaccines, but it was proving to be up to 70% more transmissible.

Create: Apr 15, 2021 Edit: Apr 15, 2021 Regional News

French, German archaeologists expected to resume excavations in northeast Iran

The tourism chief of Iran’s North Khorasan has announced plans to resume several excavations across the northeastern province using the expertise of archaeological teams from France and Germany. “Joint archaeological excavations with German archaeologists are planned to resume across Tepe Rivi if the coronavirus situation allows,” ILNA quoted Habib Yazdanpanah as saying on Saturday. “Moreover, we have are perusing to restart work on the historical town of Faruj with the presence of French archaeologists,” the official said. Last October, experts from the Louvre and the University of Tehran were granted a license to conduct a new round of excavation on the ancient town of Faruj. “Experts from the University of Tehran and the Louvre museum in Paris will conduct a new season of archeological excavation in the ruined city of Faruj with a permit obtained from the Research Institute of Cultural Heritage & Tourism,” according to Iranian archaeologist Meysam Labbaf-Khaniki. In the same year, experts from the Louvre and the University of Tehran unearthed the ramparts and towers of an ancient fortress, believed to date from the times of Parthians (247 BC – 224 CE) in Viran-Shahr near Faruj. Furthermore, teams of Iranian and German archaeologists have completed several archaeological seasons across Tepe Rivi, which has so far revealed magnificent remains of the Bronze Age up to the Sassanid period. Archaeological research works in Rivi started in 2012. Since then archaeologists accessed remains of settlements from the Bronze and Iron Age, the Achaemenid, the Parthian, the Sassanid dynasties, and the early Islamic period. The previous rounds of research had been hired various experts in archeology, geography, geophysics, geomorphology, and ecology who took part from the [Ludwig Maximilian] University of Munich; the [Free] University of Berlin; the University of Tehran; and Shahid Beheshti University, the report said. Based on the studies, various architectural and archaeological evidence from the Parthian and the Sassanid era were discovered in the Rivi site, which is situated in Maneh-Samalqan county of modern North Khorasan. The evidence, according to Mohammad-Javad Jafari who headed the fifth season of archaeological excavation at Rivi site, indicates the sequence of settlement in the area in the aftermath of the Achaemenid era, according to the Archaeology News Network. In 2019, several historical clay stamps, estimated to date from the Achaemenid and Parthian eras, were discovered in the ancient site. “The seals were found alongside clay urns in a large hall and the seals are imprinted in a variety of geometric patterns [depicting] plants, animals, and human figures. Studying the findings can yield valuable information on the economy, culture, and arts of the ancient societies,” Jafari said. These stamps represent the widespread and complicated economic relations that people of the time had with other communities in such a way that made them bring together and store goods.” Evidence suggests that residents of this area sealed the urns that were loaded with particular goods then tied them with ropes, the archaeologist said. The history of Khorasan stretches back to very ancient times. It was part of the Achaemenian Empire of the 6th to 4th century BC and the Parthian empire, which spanned from the 3rd century BC to the 3rd century CE.

Create: Apr 11, 2021 Edit: Apr 11, 2021 Regional News

Restoration to begin on ancient castle in western Iran

The ancient castle of Hassan-Abad in the western province of Kordestan is scheduled to be revived and restored in near future, the provincial tourism chief has said. The castle, which is estimated to date back to the Parthian era (247 BC – 224 CE) and the Sassanid era (224 CE–651), is one of the magnificent tourist attractions of the province, Yaqub Guylian announced on Saturday. The fortification was built to protect the residents of the nearby city and included residential houses as well as military equipment to help defend the city against invaders, the official added. Aside from the high wall of the castle, it also has three guard towers, each of which is 400 meters away from the main fence of the fortress, he explained. He also noted that the castle is only accessed through a southern part of the hill it sits on, and it is difficult to reach the castle. From very early history to modern times, defensive walls have often been necessary for cities to survive in an ever-changing world of invasion and conquest. Fortifications in antiquity were designed primarily to defeat attempts at the escalade, and to the defense of territories in warfare, and were also used to solidify rule in a region during peacetime. Uruk in ancient Sumer (Mesopotamia) is one of the world’s oldest known walled cities. The Ancient Egyptians also built fortresses on the frontiers of the Nile Valley to protect against invaders from neighboring territories. Many of the fortifications of the ancient world were built with mud brick, often leaving them no more than mounds of dirt for today’s archaeologists. The name Kordestan refers to the region’s principal inhabitants. After the Turkish invasion of Iran in the 11th century CE (Seljuq period), the name Kurdistan was applied to the region comprising the northwestern Zagros Mountains. It was during the reign of Abbas I the Great of Iran’s Safavid dynasty (1501–1736) that the Kurds rose to prominence, having been enlisted by Abbas I to help stem the attacks of the marauding Uzbeks from the east in the early 17th century.

Create: Apr 11, 2021 Edit: Apr 11, 2021 Regional News

Iran hotels remain open as fourth coronavirus wave gains momentum

Iranian hotels and other accommodation units remain open as the fourth coronavirus wave gains momentum across the country. To curb the outbreak, President Hassan Rouhani on April 8 announced plans to close down all non-essential businesses, including bazaars and malls in cities color-coded 'red' or very high-risk for a ten-day period as of Saturday. “Hotels and other accommodation unite will be remaining open during the fourth coronavirus wave,” according to the Iranian Hoteliers Association, ISNA reported. The total number of coronavirus cases surged past the two million on Thursday as the new wave of infections has overwhelmed hospitals in all major cities. “We are expecting even more hospitalizations caused by the viral disease over the next few days,” Health Minister Saeed Namaki said on Friday. ICU beds are filled in many cities and the government is to set up makeshift hospitals to make room for more patients and advising patients to visit hospitals only if it is necessary. The number of coronavirus cases rose after millions traveled across the country during the Noruz holiday, which officially began on March 20. The Islamic Republic reported its highest number of daily coronavirus infections in more than three months period after millions challenged government guidelines and traveled during the two-week holiday. Before Noruz, health officials voiced concerns about the fourth COVID wave due to the traditional travels, mostly to visit family and loved ones. Authorities had urged people to limit travel and in-person visits, saying that travels during the Noruz festival could lead to another wave of infections across the country. President Hassan Rouhani declared new travel bans for cities situated in the “red” and “orange” zones to combat the new COVID-19 variant. Rouhani called on people to avoid traveling during the Iranian New Year holidays to help contain the spread of coronavirus. He said it would be forbidden to make trips to cities marked as “red” and “orange” in terms of the prevalence of COVID-19. “We request people to avoid traveling during Noruz holidays for the sake of their own health… It will be forbidden to travel to red and orange towns and cities,” he said. “No one should make any plans to travel to these cities,” he stressed. The Ministry of Health has classified districts based on the rate of coronavirus infections with red color indicating high risk, orange meaning medium, while yellow implied low risk and blue being the least.

Create: Apr 11, 2021 Edit: Apr 11, 2021 Regional News

Iran cancels outbound tours to Turkey due to new coronavirus variant

All outbound tours to Turkey have been canceled due to the spread of a new coronavirus variant, the secretary of the Association of Iranian Airlines has announced. According to the Interior Ministry, and the National Headquarters for Coronavirus Control, tourist tours to Turkey have been canceled until further notice, IRNA quoted Maqsoud Asadi Samani as saying on Tuesday. However, flights between Iran and Turkey are operated on schedule, the official added. Earlier this week the official announced that there is no plan at present to suspend flights to and from Turkey. He added that airlines flying to Turkey will immediately halt the service if the National Headquarters for Coronavirus Control votes to its suspension. Considering the widespread of the mutated coronavirus in Turkey, it is necessary to halt, by the next 48 hours, traveling via land and air borders to and from Turkey for a week, Namaki stressed. “Iranian citizens who are in Turkey and intend to turn back to the country, as well as Turkish citizens who are in Iran, can leave the country observing the relevant protocols and doing PCR test to make sure no infection spreads,” he highlighted in the letter. For Iranians entering the country from land and air borders, quarantine is also required for suspicious or positive cases, he stated. On February 22, the spokesman of Iran's Customs Administration Rouhollah Latifi said Iran has closed five crossing points with Iraq to prevent the spread of the UK variant of coronavirus, ISNA reported. Flights between the two neighbors have repeatedly been suspended in recent months for the sake of coronavirus concerns though passengers are required to observe strict health protocols and hold a well-being certificate with a negative coronavirus PCR test result.

Create: Apr 10, 2021 Edit: Apr 10, 2021 Regional News

Over 1m visits to Kordestan sites recorded in Noruz

A total of 1,010,000 visits to the historical sites and tourist attractions of the western province of Kordestan was registered during the two-week New Year (Noruz) holidays (March 20-April 2), the provincial tourism chief announced on Monday. Travelers also made some 20,906 overnight stays in the official accommodation centers across the province during the mentioned time, Yaqub Guylian said. Some handicrafts exhibitions were also held during the period to promote the handmade products of the local artisans, the official added. He also mentioned that online visits and virtual tours of some of the province’s popular tourist attractions have been launched as well. Before the national holiday, President Hassan Rouhani declared new travel bans for cities situated in the “red” and “orange” zones to combat the new COVID-19 variant. Rouhani called on people to avoid traveling during the Iranian New Year holidays to help contain the spread of coronavirus. He said it would be forbidden to make trips to cities marked as “red” and “orange” in terms of the prevalence of COVID-19. “We request people to avoid traveling during Noruz holidays for the sake of their own health… It will be forbidden to travel to red and orange towns and cities,” he said. “No one should make any plans to travel to these cities,” he stressed. Late in February, the tourism minister said despite all the obstacles and issues and the outbreak of the coronavirus, the country’s tourism sector is still alive and dynamic. Noruz ceremonies and trips, if practiced under health protocols, could be beneficial for the revival of the tourism industry and handicrafts, which have been severely affected by the coronavirus pandemic in many provinces, the minister explained. Iranians traditionally make hundreds of thousands of domestic trips during the New Year holidays, when most businesses and workplaces are closed, as are schools.

Create: Apr 10, 2021 Edit: Apr 10, 2021 Regional News

Noruz visits to Iranian museums falls by one-fifth due to virus

Visits to Iranian museums fell by one-fifth during the recent Iranian New Year (Noruz) holidays (March 19-April 2) in comparison to the same period two years ago, when the new coronavirus was not yet an issue. “Visits to cultural heritage museums fell by one-fifth during the Noruz holidays of the current year (1400) in comparison to the same period in the year 1398,” Mohammadreza Kargar, the director of museums and historical properties at the tourism ministry, announced on Saturday. “1,246,102 people visited cultural heritage museums [and sites] during this Noruz,” the official said without mentioning the number of visitors during the same period in 1398. Cultural heritage museums were closed during the Noruz holiday last year (1399) due to strict social distancing measures, the official said. Currently, 740 museums are active across Iran, of which 285 have been established since August 2013, when President Hassan Rouhani began his first administration, Kargar said in March. Back in 2018, he publicized that some three million historical objects were being kept at museums affiliated with the Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts, and Tourism Ministry. Iran is home to one of the world’s oldest continuous major civilizations, embracing settlements dating back to 4000 BC. It also hosts some of the world’s oldest cultural monuments including bazaars, museums, mosques, bridges, bathhouses, madrasas, gardens, rich natural, rural landscapes as well as 24 UNESCO World Heritage sites. The name of Iran, formerly known as Persia, mostly conjures up the first Persian Empire, ruled by the Achaemenids (ca. 550 – 330 BC) and sites such as Pasargadae and Persepolis. However, there are tens of prehistorical sites as the Burnt City in Sistan-Baluchestan, Tepe Sialk in Kashan, Susa and Chogha Zanbil in the Khuzestan province, and Ecbatana in Hamedan which predate the Achaemenid period. From a wider point of view, Iranian history can be divided into Pre-Islamic and Islamic eras. The Medes unified Iran as a nation and empire in 625 BC. The Islamic conquest of Persia (633–656) that put an end to the mighty Sassanid Empire (224–651) was a turning point in the history of the nation.

Create: Apr 5, 2021 Edit: Apr 5, 2021 Regional News

Lufthansa to resume Frankfurt-Tehran flights this month

German airline Lufthansa announced on Friday that it would resume flights from Frankfurt to Tehran from April 16. Lufthansa had suspended flights in January 2020 after the Islamic Republic accidentally downed a Ukrainian jetliner amid an exchange of hostilities with U.S. forces in Iraqi soil. The airline said it has since assessed security measures by Iran with national and international authorities. “The conditions for safe flight operations in Iranian airspace are currently in place,” it said in an emailed statement, Reuters reported. In January 2020, however, the EU Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) approved that European airlines can return to parts of Iranian and Iraqi airspace. EASA announced, following an EU aviation security risk group meeting, that it was lifting temporary recommendations against overflying the two countries altogether. Lufthansa was among airlines that canceled flights over the affected airspace. On January 3, 2020, a U.S. drone strike assassinated top Iranian general Qassem Soleimani and in an act of retaliation, Iran fired missiles at U.S. targets in Iraq on January 8. The Ukrainian airliner was accidentally shot down by Iran’s air defense as it was on high alert in the tense aftermath.

Create: Apr 5, 2021 Edit: Apr 5, 2021 Regional News

Iran says no plan yet to suspend Turkey flights due to virus

The Association of Iranian Airlines (AIA) on Sunday announced that it has no plan at present to suspend flights to and from Turkey due to the spread of a new coronavirus variant. “Flights between Iran and Turkey are operated on schedule and there is no plan yet to suspend them until [we receive] an official announcement from the National Headquarters for Coronavirus Control,” said Maqsoud As’adi-Samani, the secretary of the association. He added that the issue is to be conferred in the next session of the national headquarters. “Airlines flying to Turkey will [immediately] halt the service if the headquarters votes to its suspension.” Iranian Health Minister Saeed Namaki on Saturday issued an order, restricting travels to and from Turkey for a week in a bid to help contain the new coronavirus variant. In a letter to the interior minister, Namaki stressed the need for closing air and land borders with the neighboring country for a week. Flights between the two neighbors have repeatedly been suspended in recent months for the sake of coronavirus concerns though passengers are required to observe strict health protocols and hold a well-being certificate with a negative coronavirus PCR test result.

Create: Apr 5, 2021 Edit: Apr 5, 2021 Regional News

Vali-e Asr St., longest in West Asia, being prepared for possible UNESCO registration

Over the past years, Tehran’s Vali-e Asr Street, famed as the longest in West Asia, has undergone countless maintenance works as a prerequisite for a possible UNESCO registration. The leafy street runs for over 17 kilometers from the railway station in the south of the metropolis to the Tajrish square in the north. It is lined with many shops, restaurants, parks, cinemas, and cultural centers. Tehran’s District 11 Mayor Nasrollah Abadian has recently talked about restoration works is has carried out on the southernmost section of the thoroughfare, which is situated in the district. “Vali-e Asr Street, which is the longest in West Asia, has undertaken extra maintenance and restoration works as a prerequisite for a possible UNESCO registration…. Four Kilometers of it is situated in the district 11 and others in the districts of 6, 3, and 1, respectively,” Abadian said. Landscaping and the beautification of urban spaces, flooring, and the protection of green spaces of the street are amongst tasks being practiced, he explained. “Vali-e Asr Street is the best example which witnesses the persistent exercises of creating the concept of Garden-Street as a destination of an urban area from the Safavid era up to the modern time,” according to the UNESCO website. “A variety of architectural styles from traditional to modern and eclectic is a representation of eastern and western values synthesis in a specific geographical point, which carries a true definition of an architectural and spatial place.” In the 19th century, the route once passed through Shemiran gardens, barren fields between Tehran and Shemiran, Yusef Abad, Abbas Abad, and Behjat Abad ending at its southernmost tip inside the then Qajar-era town of Tehran. Vali-e Asr Street, which is registered on Iran’s National Heritage list, was added to the UNESCO’s temporary list in 2019. The street is one of the main urban elements of the Iranian capital in the north-south direction.

Create: Apr 5, 2021 Edit: Apr 5, 2021 Regional News

Over 1.1m visits to Khorasan Razavi sites registered in Noruz

A total of 1,176,415 visits to the historical sites and natural sights of the northeastern Khorasan Razavi province was recorded during the two-week New Year (Noruz) holidays (March 20-April 2). Historical city of Tus, the mausoleum of the epic Persian poet Ferdowsi, the mausoleums of poets Attar and Khayyam, and Naderi Garden were among the most visited sites, the deputy provincial tourism chief said on Sunday. Strict health protocols were demanded to be observed by the travelers during their visits, Marjan Akbari added. The capital city of Mashhad is home to the holy shrine of Imam Reza (AS), the eighth Shia Imam, which attracts thousands of pilgrims from various Iranian cities, neighboring countries, and even across the globe. According to official statistics, some 37 million Iranian pilgrims and travelers visited the shrine city of Mashhad during the first ten months of the Iranian calendar year 1398 (March 21, 2019- March 20, 2020). Dozens of five-star hotels and hostels are dotted around the holy shrine. The metropolis has the highest concentration of water parks in the country, and it also embraces a variety of cultural and historical sites that are generally crowded.

Create: Apr 5, 2021 Edit: Apr 5, 2021 Regional News