TEHRAN – Iran and Venezuela have agreed to launch mutual tours as part of a memorandum of understanding the two inked days ago in Tehran.

Iran’s Minister of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts Ali Asghar Mounesan said that Iran and Venezuela would launch tours between the two countries to improve ties, IRNA reported on Wednesday.

In a meeting to sign the MoU, Mounesan, and Venezuela’s Minister of Tourism and Foreign Trade Alí Padrón Paredes announced they would try to improve tourism among the two countries in line with strategic plans.

Mounesan said that the agreement was initially reached with former Venezuelan Tourism Minister, Felix Ramon Plasencia Gonzalez, and it was not implemented.

Pointing to the historical attractions in Iran and natural sites in Venezuela, Mounesan said he hoped the two countries would be good destinations for their travelers.

He also said that expansion of tourism relations between Iran and Venezuela would serve to improve trading ties between the two countries, as a direct flight has been launched between the two capitals.

Venezuelan Tourism Minister, for his part, said that his country has the second and tenth biggest national parks in the world and the Angel Fall is the highest waterfall in the world.

Padron also pointed to other natural attractions in Venezuela and added that his country aims to work in unison with Iran to recover tourism industry hit by the coronavirus pandemic.

The official praised Iran’s “brotherly assistance” to Venezuela to ease the pressure of sanctions from which Iran is also suffering.

Venezuela’s Minister of Tourism and Foreign Trade, heading an economic delegation and tourism industry players, was scheduled a four-day trip which started on Tuesday.

Back in October, Mounesan exchanged views with  the former Venezuelan Tourism and Foreign Trade Minister Felix, Ramon Plasencia Gonzalez, in a video conference to deepen tourism relations, especially through simplifying visa rules, launching fam tours, and setting up exhibits. They also agreed to sign a memorandum of understanding in a bid to broaden bilateral ties.

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.

Under the 2025 Tourism Vision Plan, it aims to increase the number of tourist arrivals from 4.8 million in 2014 to 20 million in 2025. So it will undeniably try its best to achieve a relatively ambitious goal but when that happens the travel industry is likely to look more altered.

AFM/