An 18-strong French delegation comprising representatives of travel agencies and hotel contractors arrived in Tehran on Tuesday.
The three-day trip, aimed at bolstering tourism ties between Iran and France, comes on the heels of a recent high-level delegation visit led by French Agriculture Minister Stephane Le Foll and Minister for Foreign Trade, Tourism and French Nationals Abroad Matthias Fekl.
Le Foll and Fekl’s meeting with Iran’s Vice President Masoud Soltanifar in September paved the way for the tourism delegation’s visit to discuss investment opportunities with Iran’s Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism Organization and the private sector.
Since the signing of the historic nuclear accord between Iran and the six major world powers in July, the West has sought to reestablish ties with Iran. Experts believe the Mideast nation’s emerging travel market will benefit greatly in the process.
French officials eased travel restrictions for Iranians following the nuclear deal while the country’s travel agencies and media have been promoting Iranian tourism for weeks.
Last month, French group AccorHotels opened two hotels in Tehran’s Imam Khomeini International Airport, signaling the West’s first foray into the Iranian market.
The tourism delegation was scheduled to hold a press conference at the French Embassy in Tehran on Tuesday afternoon, the report of which will be published later by Financial Tribune.
