In a bid to spread travel across the country and encourage domestic tourists visit under-the-radar destinations, Iran’s Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism Organization has plans to subsidize travel to lesser known places.
Speaking at a meeting with the board of directors of the Iran Tour Operators’ Association, the head of the ICHHTO, said that the cities of Zahedan, Zabol and Chabahar in Sistan-Baluchestan Province as well as Tehran are the first destinations for which travel subsidies will be offered before the year is out in March 2017.
“The ICHHTO will cover one third of the costs of trips to these destinations,” Masoud Soltanifar was quoted as saying by CHTN.
Emphasizing the importance of affordable holidays in the country, he called on tour operators, airlines, transportation systems and hotels to offer discounts to help encourage domestic travel.
Outlining his organization’s future plans, Soltanifar said facilitating visa procedures and developing hotels and transportation networks are among pressing issues that his office will be working to address in collaboration with relevant entities.
“We’re also going to open more tourist offices in other countries.”
Over the past two years, 25 five-star hotels have opened in cities across the country including, Tehran, Shiraz, Mashhad, Kish and Qeshm among others. In addition, 69 five-star, 94 four-star, 191 three-star, 144 two-star and 219 one-star hotels are under construction along with 214 hotel apartments.
