IRAN: Western Tourism To Iran Booms After Nuclear Agreement

“We’re here today to present the best of our country,” the Iranian Consul General to Milan, a tall man with graying temples, murmured in Farsi into the microphone. With a waving Iranian flag projected behind him, the consul general stood next to the Mayor of Vimodrone, a small suburb of Milan, on the auditorium stage of a local high school on February 12. A woman stood in the background, translating the consul general’s words into Italian for a mixed audience of Italians and Iranian immigrants.

The mayor and consul general focused their remarks on the similarities between Italian and Iranian culture and forging relations that would “benefit both communities.”

The mayor, Antonio Brescianini, described his recent trip to Iran. Fascinated by the country’s impressive cultural legacy, the mayor spoke of Xerxes and Persepolis. “Italian food is the best in the world, but Iran’s also has a long history,” he laughed.

After the speeches concluded and gifts were exchanged to symbolize the continuing friendship between the two countries, seven colorfully dressed musicians stepped on stage. Four women, with their hair not quite hidden under bright scarves, and three men took up various instruments, including the oud, tar, tombak, daf, and tam-tam.

The musicians played mostly bright, happy songs, mixing in the occasional melancholy ode. One bespectacled man played a kamancheh, a kind of smaller, three-stringed cello, with such emotion and precision that he managed to stand out even during the loudest song.

After the concert, dinner was served: rice with dried cranberries that added bursts of brightness, beef kebabs, grilled chicken, small spherical cookies, and rice pudding. Guests milled around, eating and chatting in a mix of Italian, Farsi, and English for over an hour until finally, almost at midnight, everyone left for home.

While the evening was advertised as a cultural event, it was, in fact, one long, interactive commercial for tourism to Iran, sponsored by Iran Air and two Iranian travel agencies. With international sanctions lifted barely one month ago, Iran is already experiencing an enormous surge in foreign – particularly Western – tourism.

Many Europeans can now obtain a thirty-day tourist visa on arrival, making spontaneous visits possible. British, French, and Americans have to apply for a visa before traveling, a process that can sometimes take months. Tourists also have to carry cash, as credit cards and ATMs cannot be used because of international banking restrictions.

After the remarks by Mayor Brescianini and the Consul General, the President of Iran Air for Italy and Cyprus announced that – to reflect the growing demand from Italian tourists – the airline would be increasing flights from Milan and Rome to Tehran from once to three times a week.

In what was obviously a very proud moment, he revealed that Iran Air would be adding 118 new planes to its fleet, making it one of the largest airlines in the Middle East. The $25 billion deal with Airbus was signed three weeks ago, during President Hassan Rouhani’s visit to Paris.

The surge in tourism to Iran is not a matter of happenstance. Rouhani has been a driving force behind increasing the flow of tourists to the previously isolated country, with the goal of creating a strong, new revenue source for the country. With oil prices continuing to plummet, Rouhani hopes to increase tourism fivefold and reach 20 million tourists annually by 2025. If Rouhani can achieve this goal, it will bring Iran a much needed $30 billion a year.

The U.S. State Department issued an updated travel warning for Iran on January 29, warning “U.S. citizens to carefully consider the risks of travel to Iran… All U.S. citizens should stay current with media coverage of local events and carefully consider nonessential travel.” During his comments, Mayor Brescianini countered this alarmist narrative, describing Iran as “possibly one of the safest places in the world now.” The authors of Lonely Planet, a popular travel guide, share the mayor’s opinion on Iran, writing: “Iran is a safe place to travel, so much so that many travelers describe it as ‘the safest country I’ve ever been to,’ or ‘much safer than traveling in Europe.'”

The guests at the February 12 seemed unfazed by warnings to stay away from Iran. By the end of the event, many were excitedly discussing plans to travel to the country, in the near future.