To facilitate financial transactions and e-payment for international tourists in Iran, a debit card has been designed and its pilot phase is underway in a number of hotels, announced the head of marketing office of Tourism Bank, Mohammad Nasser Chiti. Speaking at meeting of Tehran four and five-star hotel groups, he said the card will be issued under the traveler’s name so the identification issues facing tourists will be solved, ISNA quoted him as saying. The cards are issued under the regulations of Central Bank of Iran (CBI) and the project will be operational from mid-April. Tourism Bank was established in 2010 with $60million. Although the bank is named as the first specialist bank for tourism in the private sector, there are complaints by the tourism sector and hotel managements that it does not provide any special facilities different from other banks.
