IRAN LAUNCHES TOURISM ROADSHOW IN MALAYSIA

KUALA LUMPUR, July 3 (Bernama) -- Iran launched its Tourism Roadshow Southeast Asia 2024 in Malaysia’s capital on Wednesday, underscoring the importance of strengthening bilateral tourism ties between the republic and Malaysia.

Iran Deputy Minister of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts, Ali Asghar Shalbafian, said the launch highlighted the Iranian government’s recent efforts to boost tourism and attract investment which included organising roadshows and aggressively promoting the country’s diverse tourist attractions.

Shalbafian said his ministry had invited renowned travel agencies from around the world to participate in business-to-business (B2B) sessions with their Iranian counterparts.

"The government has received a positive response from global travel businesses and many individuals who recognise Iran's potential as a tourism destination. This initiative will help counteract media distortion and fabrication about the country," he told Bernama at the event.

Over 100 representatives from both Iranian and Malaysian travel companies attended the event which included a B2B session.

To attract tourists, Iran has waived visa requirements for over half of the world's population, including Malaysia and most of Southeast Asian countries.

Recently, Iran granted tourist visa exemptions to 28 additional countries such as Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Kuwait, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tunisia, Tanzania, Mauritania, Zimbabwe, Mauritius, the Seychelles, Japan, Indonesia, Singapore, Cuba, Vietnam, Cambodia, Brunei, Brazil, Mexico, Peru, Croatia, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Belarus and India.

The ambassador of Iran to Malaysia, Valiollah Mohammadi Nasrabadi, who was present at the launch, emphasised the importance of opening Iran to tourism, and highlighted the numerous attractive destinations and the positive impact that tourism could have on the country's image.

Nasrabadi acknowledged that Iran's reputation has suffered in recent years due to negative portrayals by Western media but he believed that tourists visiting the country would be pleasantly surprised to find out that the negative perceptions were unfounded.

"Opening up Iran for tourism offers many benefits, including economic and social potentials, as well as advancements in science and technology. We invite people from all over the world to visit Iran and experience the reality in the country," he said.

--BERNAMA