TEHRAN – The United Nations World Tourism Organization has recently registered “Majestic Iran: a Different Experience” as the national brand for the Islamic Republic of Iran.

“With this registration by the UNWTO, Iran officially entered the list of countries with tourism brands,” ISNA quoted deputy tourism minister Vali Teymouri as saying on Friday.

The motto combined with the image of a “Simurgh” -- a huge mythical bird of Persian legend credited with possessing great wisdom – constitute the national brand, which the country officially unveiled last February.

“A good professional and international introduction of the Iranian tourism brand has been made by the World Tourism Organization,” Teymouri added.

“Majestic Iran: a Different Experience” aims to hammer home the message of diversity and richness in recreational, cultural, and medical tourism.

According to Zahed Shafiei, project manager of the tourism brand, the selection of this logo and motto took more than two years.

Studies of Iran’s tourism brand officially began two decades ago. Different logos, ranging from lotus flower to saffron flower, were selected and Iran has sometimes appeared in international forums with slogans such as ‘See Iran’. However, none of them have survived to this day.

On the wings of this Simorgh, Muqarnas - a form of ornamented vaulting in Islamic architecture - is depicted. The tail of Simorgh consists of seven feathers, whose number is a symbol of the sanctity in Iranian culture and other religions and nations. The bird is illustrated in turquoise blue (Persian blue) with the word “Iran” in terracotta, displaying the dominant color of nature and architecture of Iran.

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 Islamic Republic expects to reap a bonanza from its numerous tourist spots 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, Iran aims to increase the number of tourist arrivals from 4.8 million in 2014 to 20 million in 2025. The latest available data show eight million tourists visited the Islamic Republic during the first ten months of the past Iranian calendar year (ended March 20).

AFM/