1st group of foreign tourists arrive in Iran amid pandemic

In a tweet on Friday, Deputy Minister of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts for touristic affairs Ali Asghar Shalbafan wrote that National Headquarters to Combat and Prevent Coronavirus voted for issuing visas for tourists and then, the first group of foreign tourists arrived in Iran from Russia.

He described the notification of new instructions for hosting foreign tourists to 31 provinces in Iran as a move in line with showing proper hospitality, adding that all public and private sectors are tasked with mobilizing their capabilities to provide foreign tourists with appropriate hospitality in the country.

Russian tourists – the first foreign tourists from the outbreak of coronavirus in Iran – are scheduled to visit Iranian tourist attractions while observing all health protocols.

He went on to say that Russian tourists and tour guides have been allowed to travel to Iran following an agreement between Iran’s Ministry of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts and the Federal Agency for Tourism of the Russian Federation (Rostourism) so, they arrived in Tehran Thursday night.

The two countries had reached the consensus to develop tourism cooperation and hold tours, but the spread of COVID-19 pandemic ceased the plan.
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