TEHRAN – The promotion of “customized tourism” is essential as the coronavirus pandemic has nearly shut down the travel sector, Iranian professor Mohammad-Taqi Toghraei said on Monday.

Speaking to IRNA, Toghraei, who a faculty member of Isfahan University of Art, explained: “Custom or ‘customized’ tourism is a new model in the tourism industry [that works] based on the needs, demands, and wishes of a tourist, in which the tourist raises all the issues first and then an appropriate destination meeting all healthcare conditions will be offered.”

“In this case, tourists put all their orders for tourism, such as weather conditions, accommodation, and reception, electronically and virtually…. In this type of tourism, the number of tourists is decreased, but revenues will increase.”

Referring to social distancing and hygiene regulations which are prerequisites in the fight against the virus, the noted, “Custom tourism also causes the better distribution of tourists in different tourism target areas and with the better observance of health instructions and social distance.”

Elsewhere in his remakes, Toghraei explained: “According to the available evidence and information, coronavirus disease will be remaining for (relatively) a long time and will not disappear soon…. Considering the existing conditions, it is necessary that business methods be changed accordingly and reorganize with the new changes and constraints.”

Back in May, Iran’s Ministry of Cultural Heritage, Tourism, and Handicrafts in close collaboration with the Ministry of Health announced new guidelines and instructions to ramp up the safety of travels in response to the coronavirus pandemic.

The rapid spread of the novel coronavirus has plunged the travel and tourism industry and economy in the global scene over that past couple of months as passenger traffic on airlines and hotel occupancy rates have fallen off a cliff compared to the same periods previous years.

Some experts, however, expect the Islamic Republic 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.

AFM/MG