TEHRAN – Iranian tour operators welcome new guidelines requiring foreign visitors to travel with visas and licensing guides, saying the move will support the tourism industry and the local community.
Mostafa Shafiei-Shakib, head of the Iran Tour Operators Association, told MEHR News Agency that the authorities recently notified the travel agency that foreign tourists must enter Iran as part of an organized tour and be accompanied by a tour guide.
The Islamic Republic requested that foreign tourists only enter through organized tours booked by the registry a few weeks after the 12-day Israel-imposed war with Iran. The change reportedly bans independent travel and requires tourists to submit additional documents, including detailed resumes, tour operator agreements and hotel reservations.
Previously, Minister of Cultural Heritage and Tourism, Seyed Reza Salehi Amiri, said that no official restrictions on the entry of foreign tourists were imposed and such instructions were not sent to the Ministry.
“This is a good step as it prevents people from entering without a visa or travel plan,” Shafie Shakib said. “In the past, such travelers have moved from city to city with the smallest expenditures, staying in private homes (mainly) without generating income for institutions or communities, some of which have also caused security issues.”
Shafiei-Shakib said under the new rules, tourists should coordinate their trips through agents. “Tourists can book a hotel from one agency and obtain a visa from another,” he said, adding that the system will secure revenue for licensed operators.
He pointed out that over the past few years, many individual guides or tourism workers will organize foreign arrivals independently without supervision. “Now, unplanned travel will be eliminated and foreign travel will be organized,” he said. “If implemented properly, it will benefit everyone in the long run.”
According to Salehi-Amiri, Iran generated around $7.4 billion from foreign tourism in past Iranian calendar years (ends in March 2025), with over 7 million international visitors arriving in the country. “Each foreign tourist spent an average of between $1,000 and $3,000 during his stay in the Islamic Republic.”
The Islamic Republic expects to reap jackpots from many tourist attractions such as bazaars, museums, mosques, bridges, baths, madrasas, spirits, churches, towers and mansions.
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