Reza Salehi Amiri said on Tuesday that the lack of a currency exchange system and the absence of international credit cards have posed challenges for the tourism industry in the Islamic Republic; therefore, the Central Bank of Iran (CBI) must address this issue.
Stressing that the potential and capacity of Iran's tourism need a change, Salehi Amiri added the primary target market for tourism is the "Nowruz region," which is a cultural area including countries like Azerbaijan. He mentioned that more than 1.8 million Azeri tourists used to visit Iran, but due to an incident in Tehran (the embassy incident on January 27, 2023), the number of tourists from the neighboring country dropped to 0.1 million.
"On my visit to Baku, I had discussions with senior officials of Azerbaijan, and we are working to reopen this route and revive tourist exchanges," he noted.
The minister also mentioned that Persian Gulf littoral states, particularly Iraq, are the second target market for tourism, with over 3 million tourists coming from Iraq to Iran, while 7.5 million Iranian pilgrims travel to Iraq annually, which is disproportionate and requires balance.
He further stated that one of the main and serious goals of his ministry is the tourism market in Saudi Arabia because there is a belief in resolving issues between the two nations and President Masoud Pezeshkian is determined to resolve issues with Saudi Arabia, adding that a significant progress has been made in this regard.
The minister also expressed hope that during President Pezeshkian's meeting with the leaders of Azerbaijan and Saudi Arabia, issues will be resolved, and a new chapter in relations will begin.
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