Azernews.Az

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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Sara Rajabova is AzerNews’ staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @SaraRajabova

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