TEHRAN - A group of 30 Swiss tour operators and travel agents are to commence a familiarization tour across Iran with the aim of getting acquainted with its potential in terms of travel destinations, natural landscapes, local people and their traditions.

The group will start a six-day familiarization tour tomorrow [November 17], Mohammad-Ebrahim Larijani, the director of advertising and marketing office of the Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts Ministry, was quoted by IRIB as saying on Saturday.

“The travelers are set to tour the cities of Isfahan and Shiraz particularly with the aim of getting acquainted with Iranian and Islamic-era architecture and arts in terms of murals and paintings, tilework, mirrorwork and stained glass windows [amongst other themes],” Larijani said.

Eelier this month Tehran and Bern inked a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to expand cooperation in the tourism sector.

The agreement was signed by the Iranian deputy tourism minister Vali Teymouri, and Switzerland Tourism’s director of emerging markets and special projects, Federico Sommaruga, to fertile the ground for enhancing and developing cooperation based on capabilities and facilities of the two sides.

AFM/MG