Today.Az » World news » Iran plans to become world's hub for Halal tourism
27 February 2015 [14:50] - Today.Az
/By AzerNews/
By Sara Rajabova
With the rise of numbers of tourists visiting Iran, the Islamic
country plans to transform itself into the world’s hub for Halal
tourism, catering directly to Muslim families.
Iran’s top official said the country could attract as many as 15 million Muslim visitors per year.
Massoud Soltanifar, Vice President and head of the Cultural Heritage
Organization said his government plans to expand Halal tourism and
attract an anticipated 10-15 million visitors to Iran every year, Press
TV reported.
He said Iran is seeing a steady rise in the numbers of tourists
visiting the country, noting that five million tourists visited Iran
last year, half of them travelling to Mashhad and Qom to visit Shia
shrines. Since the large majority of visitors travelled to prominent
Shia shrines -- Mashhad and Qom -- , Iran wants now to bank on the trend
and develop its Islamic tourism.
Mashhad -a city in northeast Iran - is a major tourism hub in Iran.
The city is home to the shrine of Imam Reza, a grandson of Prophet
Mohammad. The city attracts pilgrims from Iraq, Lebanon, Azerbaijan,
Bahrain, Pakistan, India and elsewhere.
Iran’s Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism Organization said
earlier that Mashhad is a major tourist destination with about 50
percent of all foreign visitors.
Mashhad’s high capacity as a major tourism hub in Iran has created an
opportunity to introduce the city as the new Halal tourism capital.
Soltanifar further noted that Iran is planning to absorb over 20
million foreign tourists annually over the course of the next decade.
“Thanks to the new government’s approach and interaction with the
world, we are seeing a rise in foreign tourists from European and
Islamic countries,” he said.
He added that some destinations are among government officials’
priorities for development, including Qom where there is insufficient
tourism infrastructure.
Qom in central Iran, is one of the main centers of teaching in Shia
Islam. Many pilgrims from neighboring countries and the world also
travel to the city to visit the holy shrine.
As Iran is planning to expand its tourism and attract more visitors,
experts believe officials will need to develop state infrastructures.
Iran has a diverse landscape and its tourism industry offers a myriad of recreational opportunities.
They range from hot mineral water showers in the northwest to hiking
and skiing in the Alborz mountains to magnificent architectural
sight-seeing in the center and beach holidays in the Persian Gulf and
the Caspian Sea.
Iran has one of the most vibrant and diverse society in the Middle
East that is interesting for the lovers of history and ethnic variety.
Naqsh-e Jahan Square, Armenian monastic ensembles of Iran, Bam and its
cultural landscape, Bisotoun, Pasargadae, Persepolis, Sheikh Safi al-din
shrine, Shoushtar historical hydraulic system, Soltaniyeh, Tabriz
historic bazaar complex, Takht-e Soleiman, TchoghaZanbil and the Persian
garden are among the Iranian historical heritage inscribed on UNESCO’s
World Heritage List.
The international tourism reviews show that there is a high potential for a Halal tourism boom in the Middle East.
Turkey, Malaysia, Indonesia, Morocco and many more countries are
trying to attract Muslim tourists from all over the world, offering
facilities in accordance with the religious beliefs of tourists.
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