Iraqi Airways resumes flights to Iran after one-month halt

Iraq’s flag career Iraqi Airways has resumed flights to Iran after one month of hiatus over the third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, IRNA reported on Sunday. Flights from Najaf to Tehran and Najaf to Mashhad and vice versa have been scheduled to be operated since Saturday, the report added. Although issuing visas on arrival for tourists has been suspended, Iraqis with Iranian spouses and their children, Iraqis residing in Iran or those seeking medical treatment in Iran, as well as students and businessmen can travel to the country. Back in August, senior Iranian aviation official, Maqsoud As’adi-Samani, announced that wearing masks and following health protocols during the flights as well as carrying a health certificate with a negative coronavirus PCR test result is mandatory for travelers. Over the past couple of months, many countries, including the Islamic Republic, imposed travel restrictions to help curb the spread of novel coronavirus. In this line, incoming and outgoing flights have been suspended, and road travels restricted to a great extent. The pandemic has taken a huge toll on Iran’s civil aviation sector with reports showing that airlines lost hundreds of millions of dollars because of flight cancellations during the busy New Year travel season in late March. Some experts expect Iran to achieve a tourism boom after coronavirus contained, believing its impact would be temporary and short-lived for a country that ranked the third fastest-growing tourism destination in 2019. The latest available data show eight million tourists visited the Islamic Republic during the first ten months of the past Iranian calendar year (started March 21, 2019).

The art of Sushi

Humanitarian aid of Qom hoteliers community

"Emad Mahmoudpour" Vice President of the Association of Hotels and Apartment Hotels in Qom Province;  The province's hoteliers' community has so far distributed 5,000 livelihood packages to support the vulnerable.

Payment of one billion and 360 million tomans of bank facilities to Bushehr tourism centers

"Sakineh Salari" the Deputy Minister of Tourism of Bushehr Province announced;  So far, 55 cases have been submitted to the operating banks of the province to receive facilities with a 12% fee.

Mass tourism should be avoided during the corona

✨ "Reza Ali Asl" Member of the Board of Directors of the Association of Tourist Guides of Iran;  🔹 Many measures taken to improve the tourism situation during the Corona virus epidemic are not practical.  🔹 A logical mechanism must be devised to improve the tourism situation in Iran. 

50,000 Israeli tourists travel to the UAE in two weeks

Washington Post report;  50,000 Israeli tourists travel to the UAE in two weeks  About 50,000 Israeli tourists have traveled to the UAE since the start of commercial flights between the UAE and Israel. Israeli tourism officials predict that number will rise to more than 70,000 in the next week. 

Reopening the doors of the UAE to foreign tourists

The UAE plans to open its doors to foreign tourists from early January, reduce restrictions and gradually get rid of the Corona pandemic. According to an official from the UAE's Culture and Tourism Department, the country will allow tourists traveling to the region from certain countries. 

The government's approach to tourist guides is contrary to the duties of the Supreme Leader

"Mohammad Reza Dashti Ardakani" Chairman of the Tourism Faction of the Islamic Consultative Assembly; In the 2020 budget, the government was obliged to cover the insurance of 2,000 tour guides, but this title was removed from the 2021 budget instead of supporting the country's cultural ambassadors, who are in the worst working conditions due to the spread of the Corona virus.  Since the outbreak of the Corona virus in March 2020, not only have unemployment insurance not been paid to tour guides, but they have been denied insurance coverage in the 2021 budget bill.

The criteria of banks in paying for tourism loans are not correct and expert

"Fereydoun Fayali" General Manager of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts of Kerman Province; Out of the total number of cases filed for receiving the loans, only 4 cases have been contracted and 36 billion have been paid so far. In the provinces targeted for tourism, both provincial and banking officials pay great attention to the tourism sector.  Banks do not pay attention to financial and technical justifications for paying loans. 

Tourism cannot be stopped until the end of the vaccination process

The World Tourism Organization announced;  Tourism cannot be stopped until the end of the vaccination process.  Results of the last meeting of the Crisis Committee of the World Tourism Organization (unwto) in Portugal;  The tourism sector cannot wait for the vaccination process to be completed in all countries.  Responsible and safe travel is the best way to revitalize this important industry. 

A unique rock climbing experience at the Rock Hotel Barcelona

Barcelona Stone Hotel is the first example of this hotel model in the region. In this hotel, while having regular and irregular shapes of natural and mineral stones, you can also enjoy safe places to relax.  The hotel is designed in the shape of a tall horizontal tower and has different types of oblique, sloping, vertical and horizontal stones. The tower of the Stone Hotel Barcelona has 50 rooms, a swimming pool, a cinema and a gym, each of which has a specially designed section with indescribable views. 

The half-price currency for travel tickets with foreign airlines will be removed

Proposal of the Ministry of Roads and Urban Development to the government; The subsidence of travel tickets with foreign airlines should be removed from the list of recipients of half price dollar and calculated at the rate of real price of the market. This proposal has been proposed considering the importance of preserving the country's foreign exchange resources and with the aim of creating balance in the market and preventing any possible abuse of exchange rate differences.