TEHRAN – Tehran will be playing host to an international tourism and handicrafts exhibition next month.

The event is scheduled to be held on both virtual and physical basis at Tehran Permanent International Fairgrounds from February 23 to 26, the deputy tourism minister Vali Teymouri announced on Wednesday, CHTN reported.   

 The event will be held according to health protocols announced by the National Headquarters for Coronavirus Control, and following the necessary coordination with the relevant agencies in this field, Teymouri said.

Optimistic forecasts, however, 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). . Iran welcomed some 7.8 million foreign nationals a year earlier, achieving a 52.5 percent increase year on year.

Iran 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. Rooted in ancient Persian civilization, the nation that has survived numerous alien invasions and natural disasters over its rich history while maintaining its appeal to local and foreign tourists.

AFM/