By Afshin Majlesi

Many Indonesians want to visit Iran: envoy

TEHRAN - Jakarta ambassador to Tehran said on Tuesday that many Indonesians want to visit Iran as he encouraged Iranians to visit the world’s largest island country.

Shiraz Municipality plans to restore Saray-e Moshir to its former glory

TEHRAN - Shiraz Municipality has commenced a restoration project on Saray-e Moshir in a bid to make the centuries-old bazaar and caravanserai as beautiful as it used to be.

Tehran tourism exhibit offers must-see places for Noruz

TEHRAN – Hundreds of potential travelers for Noruz holidays are choosing, bargaining or even negotiating prices with travel markets at the 12th Tehran International Tourism Exhibition, which will be running through February 16.

Tehran tourism exhibit to host over 700 Iranian, intl. businesses

TEHRAN – A total of 660 Iranian tourism marketers and businesses along with 57 foreign ones will participate in the 12th Tehran International Tourism Exhibition, which will be running from February 12 to 15. 

Foreign arrivals in Iran’s Chabahar sharply rise

TEHRAN – Chabahar, in Iran’s southeastern Sistan-Baluchestan province, hosted 3,200 foreigner nationals during the first nine months of the current Iranian calendar year (started March 21, 2018).

Shiraz historical gate getting back to its former glory

TEHRAN – Restoration work of Darvazeh Quran, a historical gate which leads to the city of Shiraz, has been completed.

Yazd hotels, museums offering discounts to Chinese visitors

TEHRAN - Hotels and museums in the city of Yazd are offering deep discounts on accommodation and entry fees for Chinese travelers on the occasion of the Chinese New Year celebrations.

Outbound travels slump by 30%: tourism official

TEHRAN – Iran’s outbound tourism fell by 30 percent during the first nine months of the current Iranian calendar year (started March 21, 2018) from a year earlier, a tourism official has said.

Officials propose closer Iranian, Spanish tourism ties

TEHRAN – Tehran ambassador to Madrid has proposed Iranian travel marketers and tourism entrepreneurs to deepen ties with their Spanish counterparts, IRNA reported on Friday.

Iran secures seat at WFTGA

TEHRAN – Iran has won a seat at the World Federation of Tourist Guides Association, securing the position for the second consecutive year, Mehr reported.

CHHTO, UNWTO ink agreement to foster cooperation

TEHRAN – Iran’s Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism Organization has signed a memorandum of understanding with the United Nations World Tourism Organization to develop ties for the promotion of responsible, sustainable and universally accessible tourism.

‘Zaras village’ an emerging destination for nature lovers 

TEHRAN - Once an intact village in the heart of Zagros Mountains, Zaras is becoming a favorite travel destination in the southwestern Khuzestan province.

Massive cistern getting back to its former glory

TEHRAN – Restoration of Asadabad cistern, believed to be the largest of its kind in Iran, has been 85 percent completed, making it ready to be toured by visitors, governor of Asadabad has said.

New eco-lodges come on stream in Yazd

TEHRAN – A total of 18 eco-lodges have been constructed across the central Yazd province from the beginning of the current Iranian calendar year (March 21, 2018), CHTN reported.

Gate of All Nations, Hafez Mausoleum sculptures to embellish Iran pavilion at FITUR

TEHRAN – Sculptures of Gate of All Nations and Hafez Mausoleum, two iconic symbols of tourism in Iran, will be showcased at the country’s pavilion at the 39th FITUR tourism trade fair in Madrid, Spain, from January 23 to 27.

Gonbad-e Soltaniyeh: Iran’s magnificent “Taj Mahal” 

TEHRAN - Locally known as Gonbad-e Soltaniyeh, the UNESCO-registered Mausoleum of Oljaytu is a prime tourism destination while traversing Iran.

Achaemenid relief goes on show in Mashhad

TEHRAN – A piece of Achaemenid-era (550-330 BC) bas-relief has been put on show at Mashhad’s Khorasan Great Museum, northeast Iran.

Tehran to host environmental impact assessment conference

TEHRAN – The 16th national conference on environmental impact assessment will be held in Tehran on February 20-21, Mehr news agency reported on Monday.

Ardebil hosting national festival of tribes

TEHRAN – A national festival of tribes is currently underway in the city of Sareyn, northwestern province of Ardebil.

Foreign arrivals in Iran reaches six million in nine months

TEHRAN – Over six million foreign nationals visited Iran during the first nine months of the current Iranian calendar year (started March 21, 2018), a remarkable rise from the same period last year, tourism chief has said.

5-star hotel being built in Tehran

TEHRAN – A five-star hotel is being constructed in western Tehran, which will add 752 beds to the hospitality sector of the Iranian capital.

Discover Rayen on the margins of Iranian desert

TEHRAN - Under the glare of blazing sun and on the margins of a harsh desert lies the ancient city of Rayen.

Iran on New York Times “Places to Go” list for 2019

TEHRAN – The New York Times has included Iran in its 2019 edition of Places to Go list, noting the country takes “the top spot.”

U.S. arrivals in Iran up 27% in 7 months on year

TEHRAN – A total of 1,665 U.S. nationals visited Iran during the first seven months of the current Iranian calendar year (started March 21, 2018), an increase of 27 percent year on year.

Qanats offer clues to ancient way of life in Iran

TEHRAN – For thousands of years, qanat systems have supplied water to agricultural and permanent settlements in arid regions of Iran, tapping alluvial aquifers at the heads of valleys and conducting the water along underground tunnels by gravity, often over many kilometers.

Iran attracts higher foreign tourists despite sanctions

TEHRAN – Iran hosted over five million foreign nationals during the first eight months of the current Iranian calendar year (started March 21, 2018), up 57 percent year on year, as the U.S. has snapped sanctions back in place to cripple Iran’s economy.

Iranian cities, free zone closer to visa-free travel for Iraqi nationals

TEHRAN – Iran is considering to grant visa-free entry to Iraqi nationals visiting southwestern cities of Abadan and Khorramshahr and Arvand Free Zone as well.

Holidaymakers invited to spend Christmas in Iran

TEHRAN – Iran tourism chief has proposed people from across the world to opt the country for spending Christmas vacation this year.

Shaking minarets, enigmatic destination worth visiting once!

For centuries Menar Jonban (“shaking minarets”), which is located in Isfahan, central Iran, has been a source of charm for Iranians and even foreign visitors because its dual minarets are really prone to vibrate!