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Illegal Chinese Lodgings Suspended

Illegal Chinese Lodgings Suspended
Illegal Chinese Lodgings Suspended

Entities providing accommodation to Chinese tourists illegally have been identified by Tehran’s tourism authorities and suspended until the final decision is made by the Inbound Tourism Safety and Security Commission at the National Security Council.  

Ali Rafiei, tourism deputy at the provincial office of Iran’s Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism Organization, stressed that some of the accommodation facilities have been suspended pending investigations by supervisory and security bodies.

“Due to the delicacy of the matter, the case has to be carefully studied before the final verdict is issued,” he was quoted as saying by ISNA.

Accommodations illegally rented out to Chinese tourists are only eligible for use by Chinese workers or students. However, reports emerged in January that the facilities were used to house Chinese tourists.

According to Rafiei, once the local media highlighted the problem, a number of property owners who had become aware of the illegality of their operations stepped forward and informed the authorities.

Asked how it was possible for those who run these accommodations to be unaware of the laws of their business, Rafiei blamed it on their “ignorance”.

“As it appears, they did not know that [renting out to Chinese tourists] required a license and when they found out they sought to legalize their business,” he said.

Rafiei said his office has received similar reports about Arab tourists in Dolatabad neighborhood in southern Tehran, which is being investigated.

 

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