The Iranian Tour Operators Association has warned of a further decline in the number of visitors from several key source markets in the upcoming season at a time when the national currency devaluation should have normally boosted the country's inbound tourism.
In a talk to ISNA, Ebrahim Pourfaraj, president of the association, said a review of tour reservations for autumn shows that the sliding trend that started in January will persist.
"The decrease in foreign arrivals started in January, but did not reach a critical level until [US President Donald] Trump and his foreign minister made statements [against Iran] and the US violated the nuclear deal which fueled more widespread hesitation about traveling to Iran among tourists," he said.
Although official statistics indicate a general rise in incoming tourist numbers, the growth has only been achieved on the back of a limited number of markets that apparently generate smaller revenue.
In a recent announcement, Ali Asghar Mounesan, head of Iran's Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism Organization, said foreign tourists to Iran have increased by 38% over the first four months of the current Iranian year (started March 21) compared with the same period last year.
Despite the general rise, tour operators have been lamenting the loss of foreign tourists from more profitable source markets.
Unpromising Scheme
ICHHTO has prepared a support plan and submitted it to the government, according to Mounesan, but judging by the general data provided on the contents of the scheme, the tour operators' association sees little hope any improvement in the sector.
"ICHHTO has devised its supportive policies based on the 38% rise that only constitutes tourists from countries such as Iraq and Azerbaijan and has failed to notice the crisis facing the industry with a 40% decline from markets such as China, Europe and America," Pourfaraj regretted.
Mounesan has only briefly pointed to some sections of the scheme such as eliminating the arrival stamp from foreign nationals' passports, but the private sector is not informed of the details.
Officials' Disconnect
Pourfaraj stressed that only the private sector is able to evaluate the crisis because it relies on tourism revenues to meet its expenses such as payment of staff and fees for participation in exhibitions overseas.
Government authorities, according to him, are unaware of the conditions due to their lack of interaction with this sector.
"The Tour Operators Association, which is the largest entity organizing inbound tours in the country, has never met these advisers and has never been consulted or asked for statistics by ICHHTO," he said.
The official noted that before getting overexcited about the drop in the costs of travel to Iran, it is essential to assure potential tourists of security in the country.
"A tourist would check for safety conditions at a destination before evaluating the costs."
In the past few years, a noticeable amount of foreign currency was earned by Iran through tourism, he added.
"The trip was more expensive, but tourists still came because a feeling of security was evoked in them."
