Iran Tourism Needs Smart Approach to Take the Edge off US Policy

Iran's tourism will not remain unaffected by the recent US decision to pull out of the nuclear deal and reimpose sanctions, but the extent of the impact will highly depend on Iran's response to the move as well as the attitude of other parties to the agreement. 
Based on published statistics, the 2015 agreement with the world powers, referred to as Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, over Iran's nuclear program and the ensuing sanctions relief resulted in a growth of the country's tourism.  During the first half of the following Iranian year (March-September 2016), the number of European tourists rose by 40% compared to the same period of the previous year, Fanous news portal reported. 
Although rather small in terms of numbers, the growth was promising and was raising hopes about a significant contribution of the tourism industry to the country's economy. 
The US withdrawal from the accord has raised concerns about a halt of or slowdown in the trend, although it is not the first US-inflicted blow to the industry.
Restrictions for nationals of 38 countries under the US Visa Waiver Program in case of travel to Iran had already discouraged tourists to choose the country as their destination.