After a successful roll-out of visa-free access for travellers from India and many other countries, the Islamic Republic of Iran recently hosted a three-city tourism roadshow in Mumbai, Hyderabad, and New Delhi, with plans to expand to other Indian cities, aimed at enhancing cultural and tourism ties between Iran and India.

A memorandum of understanding (MoU) is likely to be signed between the tourism authorities of India and Iran to boost cooperation in the sector.

Aliasghar Shalbafian

Iran recently waived visa requirements for Indian passport holders, following which the country witnessed a 39 pc rise in arrivals from India in the first four months of the year, and now the country is looking to deepen tourism ties, says Aliasghar Shalbafian, Deputy of Tourism in the Ministry of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts of Iran.

Shalbafian emphasised the shared historical and cultural ties between the two nations during the Iran Tourism Roadshow.

“Iran and India have great similarities during their thousands of years of history. We are going to revitalise these connections through tourism and, somehow, facilitate mutual tourism cooperation. Of course, India has a lot to offer to Iranian tourists. Last year, over 13 million Iranians travelled for tourism purposes. India can benefit from these significant markets. In this roadshow, we plan to showcase Iran’s diverse tourism potential and, with the help of India’s Ministry of Tourism, connect Iranian tourism businesses,” he told a news agency.

“Iran has waived visa requirements for over 40 countries, enabling more than half of the global population to visit without a visa or obtain one easily upon arrival,” he adds.

Iran is also keen to boost air connectivity between the two countries by launching direct flights between different cities. Currently, two direct flights per week operate from Tehran to Delhi and one from Tehran to Mumbai, all run by Iranian airlines Mahan Air and Iran Air. 

“There is significant demand for more direct flights to cities like Shiraz and Isfahan, which is crucial for boosting tourism,” added Shalbafian.

“Political issues do impact tourism. Last year, over six million tourists visited Iran, including about 58,000 from India. Despite some media reports, there are no safety concerns, and Iran is a safe destination with warm hospitality,” he said.