Indians, whose roots can be traced back to ancient Persia, desire to visit the land of their ancestors, according to the head of Legal Commission of Isfahan’s Tourism Forum, Reza Baradaran Esfahani.
To this end, Esfahani said meetings have been held with major Indian travel agencies to organize low-cost tours, Mehr News Agency reported.
“Iran and India share many cultural characteristics that pave the way for expanding tourism ties between the two states,” he said.
“Boosting Islamic tourism and bringing Indian Muslims to Iranian cities, particularly religious destinations, can be part of the tours.”
The affordable tour packages begin with a visit to Isfahan, followed by Shiraz and Qom. They may also include trips to Najaf and Karbala in Iraq.
The official said Isfahan’s Tourism Forum intends to primarily attract Muslim tourists from neighboring countries before expanding its services to include Muslims living in European countries.
Esfahani said Iran’s myriads of attractions have not been properly promoted worldwide.
“Even people from Asian countries like India are unaware of Iran’s tourism potential,” he said.
He said Iranian travel agencies’ bias toward European destinations does not bode well for Iranian tourism, since it overlooks domestic destinations.
Esfahani hoped that with proper planning and effective promotion of tourist attractions, Iran’s tourism industry will realize its potential.
