Iran’s Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism Organization and the Mobile Telecommunication Company of Iran have linked up to offer prepaid tourism SIM cards to international travelers.
Morteza Rahmani Movahed, tourism deputy at ICHHTO, and MCI chief executive, Vahid Sadouqi, signed the agreement on Saturday, IRNA reported.
The special SIM card for foreign tourists has been in the pipeline for some time, but it was only in July that Movahed broke the news that ICHHTO was looking for a cellphone network operator to launch the service.
“The tourism SIM card is designed for the convenience of foreign tourists. If things go as planned, it will be unveiled on September 27: World Tourism Day,” he said.
Users of the SIM card will receive information about tourist attractions in English or Arabic, and will have an easier time accessing the Internet. They also support multimedia messaging and GPS navigation system.
They can be directly purchased by tourists, or a tour organizer. A valid passport is the only document required to buy the SIM card.
“Since roaming fees are high in Iran, foreign nationals will find the card useful and convenient,” Movahed said, adding that the prepaid SIM cards are only valid for up to two months.
The SIM cards will also provide valuable statistical tourism data that can help officials devise more effective plans to develop tourism.
A joint working group will be formed in two weeks to oversee the project.
