Some $4.2m paid to corona-affected tourism, handicraft units in Zanjan

TEHRAN - More than 180 billion rials (about $4.2 million at the official rate of 42,000 rials) in loans has been paid to tourism and handicraft businesses affected by the coronavirus pandemic in Zanjan province.

Mirror of the sky: Visit Hoz-e Sultan to be turned into tourism hub

TEHRAN – Tourism directorate of Qom province is set to turn Hoz-e Sultan, a lonely salt lake in the heart of Iran, into a tourism hub.   "Hoz-e Sultan, which is one of the biggest natural mirrors in the country, will be turned into a tourism hub… and one of its goals is to empower the local communities by creating job opportunities," the provincial tourism chief, Alireza Arjmandi, said on Thursday.  

From mazy bazaars to nomadic lands: Visit Iran in a slow, no-tech fashion

TEHRAN – Hiking along the southern coasts of the Caspian Sea, discovering secret side streets in a tiny Iranian village, walking through labyrinthine bazaars, or roaming down a rain forest path to rural cottages are some of the most memorable experiences can happen only on foot.

Iranian Tour Operators Association pursues tourist visas resumption

TEHRAN – Iranian Tour Operators Association is formulating a proposal for the resumption of tourist visas after months of suspension amid strict government measures to prevent the spread of coronavirus.

Coronavirus: outbound travels slump by 85% during Iranian New Year holiday

TEHRAN – Iran’s outbound travels fell by 85 percent during the New Year (Noruz) holiday (March 21-April 4) compared with two years earlier, according to the head of the Association of Iranian Travel Agencies.

By Afshin Majlesi

Six destinations to visit in Hamedan when travel opens up

TEHRAN – It is more than a year since many countries around the world have imposed sweeping travel bans and advisories to stem the spread of novel coronavirus within their borders and beyond.

Symposium to explore Iran tourism over past 100 years

TEHRAN – Iran will be hosting a specialized symposium to explore its tourism ups and downs over the past 100 years. The symposium is scheduled to be held in the second half of the current Iranian calendar year.

Iran offers condolences on death of top WCC official Ghada Hijjawi

TEHRAN – Iranian tourism minister Ali-Asghar Mounesan offered condolences on Friday on the death of the World Crafts Council-Asia Pacific Region (WCC-APR) President Ghada Hijjawi, who died of COVID-19, praising her deep acquaintance with Persian handicrafts.

Coronavirus cases rise in Iran as millions travel during holiday

TEHRAN – The number of coronavirus cases has been rising in Iran after millions traveled across the country during the Noruz holiday, which officially began on March 20.

Iranian tour operators ask government to issue visas for vaccinated travelers

TEHRAN - Head of the Iranian Tour Operators Association Ebrahim Pourfaraj has asked the government to issue tourist visas for the international applicants who have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19.

COVID-19 inflicts $1.1 billion in losses on Isfahan tourism

TEHRAN – The tourism industry of Isfahan province has suffered a loss of some 48,000 billion rials (about $1.1 billion at the official rate of 42,000 rials per dollar) since the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic, a provincial tourism official announced on Sunday.

D-8 conferences discuss impact of coronavirus on member states

Tehran – Member states of the D-8 Organization for Economic Cooperation, also known as Developing-8, on Wednesday discussed the impact of coronavirus on the tourism sector as well as ways to rebound.

Tehran promotes tourism at ITB Berlin

TEHRAN - ITB Berlin (Internationale Tourismus-Börse Berlin), which bills itself as the world’s leading travel trade show, has presented a taste of Iran. Due to the pandemic, ITB Berlin was held virtually from March 9-12, featuring some 3,300 exhibitors from 120 countries.

Dar ul-Funun has potential to turn into school of traditional arts: minister

TEHRAN – Dar ul-Funun, which is a symbol for the start of the modern education era in the country, holds the potential to be turned into a school of traditional arts, Iran’s tourism minister said on Sunday.

Education Ministry plans to promote tourism, preserve cultural heritage

TEHRAN – The Ministry of Education plans to develop students’ skills in the field of tourism and help them preserve cultural heritage.

Hop-on hop-off busses reach Kish Island

TEHRAN – With only weeks to the Iranian New Year, several double-decker hop-on, hop-off busses have recently been transferred to Kish Island in the Persian Gulf.

Tehran, Caracas agree to launch reciprocal tours

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

Foreign arrivals to Iran plunge 94 percent in face of virus

TEHRAN – The number of foreign visitors to Iran plunged 94% in the first nine months of the current Iranian calendar year (started March 20, 2020), from a year earlier, government data showed on Wednesday, as the coronavirus pandemic takes a heavy toll of the tourism industry.

Abyaneh village: a forum of living ancient traditions

TEHRAN – Serenely situated at the foot of Mt Karkas in central Iran, the ancient village of Abyaneh is a warren of steep, twisting lanes and crumbling red mud-brick houses with lattice windows and fragile wooden balconies.

Abu Musa to organize two-day tours for martyrs’ families

TEHRAN – Abu Musa, one of the southernmost Iranian islands in the Persian Gulf, is arranging special package tours to be offered to the families of the martyrs.

First ‘house of handicrafts’ makes debut in Alborz province

TEHRAN – A ‘house of handicrafts’, which according to cultural heritage officials is first of its kind in Alborz province, was officially inaugurated on Sunday in the city of Karaj, the capital of the northcentral Iranian province.

Eco-lodge units inaugurated in southwest Iran

TEHRAN – Several eco-lodge units have recently been inaugurated in Chaharmahal-Bakhtiari province, which is teeming with pristine natural and rural landscapes in southwest Iran.

Living museum of oil extraction to get off the ground near Kashan

TEHRAN – A centuries-old Assarkhane, a traditional factory where special mills were used to grind oilseeds, is set to be turned into a living museum of oil extraction near the oasis city of Kashan, central Iran.

Iran, Germany to arrange exhibit on salt mummies

TEHRAN – Iran and Germany are set to arrange a joint exhibition on ancient salt mummies and their belongings, which have been gradually discovered in Iran’s Chehrabad Salt Mine decades ago.

Dossiers on Iranian railway, cultural landscape submitted to UNESCO

TEHRAN – Revised dossiers on the trans-Iranian railway, and the cultural landscape of Uramanat have been submitted to the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization to be assessed as World Heritage sites.   

60,000 relics being re-arranged, documented in Iranian museum

TEHRAN – Some 60,000 relics and historical objects are being documented to be put in the right order in the Great Museum of Khorasan, which is located in Mashhad, northeast Iran.

Mofakham complex selected tourism icon of North Khorasan province

TEHRAN – The extensively restored Mofakham complex has been selected as the tourism icon of North Khorasan province, the provincial tourism chief said on Wednesday.  

Cultural development, early settlements to be documented in Shahr-e Deraz

TEHRAN – Cultural background and the history of human settlement is set to be probed and documented across Shahr-e Deraz and its surrounding areas, which are situated in Iran’s southeastern Sistan-Baluchestan province.