Tag Archives: Iran

UN Tourism Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili joined Iran’s President, His Excellency Ebrahim Raisi, in opening the 17th edition of the Exhibition. At the leading event, UN Tourism reaffirmed its commitment to supporting Iran grow its tourism sector through promotion and investments, while also supporting the country in educating a new generation of tourism workers. Mr Pololikashvili also met with the Mayor of Tehran, Ali Reza Zakani, with bilateral talks focusing on working together to make the city a more attractive destination both for tourists and for investors. The Secretary-General of UN Tourism has concluded an official visit to the Islamic Republic of Iran. Zurab Pololikashvili led a high-level delegation to the country to join the official inauguration of the Tehran International Tourism Exhibition and for a series of bilateral meetings to advance common goals around tourism resilience, diversity and rural development. The Secretary-General explored the Tehran International Tourism Exhibition alongside Iran’s Minister of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts, Ezzatollah Zarghami and Deputy Minister Dr. Ali Asghar Shalbafian. The UN Tourism leadership commended their hard work building the sector, with particular recognition of how tourism is celebrating Iran’s diverse ethnic groups and traditions while also providing a common vision for the future of the country. Representing UN Tourism’s growing Affiliate Members network, the CEO of Abbas Abad Cultural and Tourism Area, Seyed Hossein Hejazi, also met with Secretary-General Pololikashvili to make clear the role the private sector is playing in advancing shared goals. In line with the Organization’s emphasis on rural development, Governor Malek Rahmati was presented with a plaque to commemorate Kandovan being included in the list of Best Tourism Villages by UN Tourism. The significant potential for growing tourism as a pillar …

Iran announced the removal of visa requirements for 33 nations, including Gulf countries such as Saudi Arabia, marking a significant shift in diplomatic dynamics after years of strained relations and a recent thaw in ties. According to ISNA, the new countries under consideration for visa-free travel to Iran in the near future are Argentina, South Africa, Indonesia, Jordan, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Estonia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Ecuador, Algeria, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Belarus, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Paraguay, Peru, Tanzania, Tajikistan, Thailand and Turkmenistan. In March, Iran and Saudi Arabia reached an agreement brokered by China to restore diplomatic relations, which were severed in 2016. As part of this diplomatic thaw, citizens of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, and Bahrain, among other things, will now benefit from visa requirements being waived. As for Russians, they will only benefit from the visa exemption when travelling to Iran in groups. At the same time, Omani nationals enjoyed visa-free travel to Iran before this recent announcement. In a significant development, Iranian pilgrims are set to commence regular travel to Saudi Arabia starting on December 19, marking the first time in eight years for such a routine pilgrimage between the two nations. In January 2023, Ali-Asghar Shalbafian, Iran’s vice president of tourism, proposed ​​waiving visas for travellers from 50 countries. However, this list now includes only 45 countries that will enjoy visa-free travel to Iran. Shalbafian also mentioned a previously signed program to waive visas for specific tourist groups between Iran and Russia, initiated in 2017 by former Iranian President Vladimir Putin. Furthermore, in November 2023, the Iranian government, following a proposal by the Ministry of Tourism, eliminated visa requirements for passport holders …

Air Arabia Abu Dhabi announced the launch of its new route from Abu Dhabi to Lar city in Iran. The new direct flights will connect Abu Dhabi International Airport to Larestan International Airport with a frequency of three flights weekly, starting from September 14, 2023. Schedule to Lar, effective September 14, 2023 (all times local): Flight Departure Time Arrival Time Aircraft Frequency 3L 536 Abu Dhabi 10:10 Lar 10:45 Airbus 320 Tuesday/Thursday/Friday 3L 537 Lar 11:25 Abu Dhabi 13:10 Airbus 320 Tuesday/Thursday/Friday By launching the new route to Lar, Air Arabia Abu Dhabi now extends its wings to 33 destinations including Tashkent, Alexandria, Sohag, Cairo, Dhaka, Khartoum, Chattogram, Kathmandu, Kolkata, Muscat, Salalah, Trabzon, Tbilisi, Faisalabad, Multan, Kochi, Calicut, Trivandrum, Istanbul Sabiha, Chennai, Mumbai, Lar, Ahmedabad, Bahrain, Beirut, Amman, Baghdad, Baku, Kuwait, Tehran, Yekaterinburg, Thiruvananthapuram, Moscow, and Kazan. Air Arabia Abu Dhabi operates a fleet of 10 Airbus A320 aircraft, the most modern and best-selling single-aisle aircraft in the world. The cabin configuration across Air Arabia’s fleet provides added comfort with one of the most generous seat-pitch of any economy cabin. The aircraft is also equipped with ‘SkyTime’, a free in-flight streaming service that will allow passengers to stream a wide selection of entertainment directly to their devices in addition to Air Arabia’s ‘SkyCafe’ which provides passengers with a variety of snacks and meals at affordable prices. Customers can now book their direct flights between the two cities by visiting Air Arabia’s website, or by calling the call centre or through travel agencies.