Figures show Fars province in general and Shiraz in particular were destinations of about 350,000 foreign tourists in the first 9 months of the fiscal year beginning March 21 2016.

Fars province is a gem in the constellation of historical monuments of Iran with over 3,500 registered sites; having been settled in different historical periods, the city has been the center of historic clashes which shaped the history of Iran or of cultural movements which shaped the literature of the country, with giants as Hafiz and Saadi which had been known in the west as pillars of Persian literature and culture.

Figures show that Fars province had been increasingly the destination of more and more tourists seeking the historical aura of the province and its center Shiraz. Official figures of Cultural Heritage Organization indicate that after JCPOA, the curve of foreign tourists coming to the province soared, flatting in 221 per cent of that before the deal.

The monuments in the province is rich in historical significance; Persepolis, Pasargadae, Eram Garden, etc., are destination for every tourists coming to the province. An international airport also provides the city the boon of being chosen as a regular destination. Mosayyeb Amiri, head of provincial Cultural Heritage Organization told Mehr News correspondent that roughly 350,000 tourists came to province since March 21 2016, with an increase of 221 per cent compared to that figure in the same time in 2015; “China, France, Germany, Italy, and Spain top the list of countries from where tourists come, with France with the largest number of tourists visiting province,” he said.

“Hafeziya, tomb of Hafiz, 14th century poet and sage, attracted over 1.33 million tourists, both domestic and foreign; this is the largest number of tourists a single monument could attract; Saadi tomb and garden is also a popular destination,” Amiri added.

“Diversity of historical monuments and an international airport make Shiraz stand out among historical centers of Iran; the city itself has many hotels with international caliber and accommodate foreign tourists,” said the official.

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Greece’s Olympiakos signed Panionios’s Iranian striker Karim Ansarifard in the January transfer window on Thursday.

The Iranian international striker joined the top Greek team with a contract reportedly worth €400,000, Tasnim News Agency reported.

Karim Ansarifard joined Olympiakos club the top Greek team with a contract reportedly worth €400,000.

Ansarifard had already caught the eye of a number of European top-flight clubs such as the Netherland’s Feyenoord Rotterdam, France’s Olympique de Marseille as well as Greece’s PAOK and AEK Athens.

The international forward joined Superleague Greece club Panionios from Spain’s Osasuna in 2015.

The 26-year-old player started his career at [Iran’s] Persian Gulf Pro League club Saipa in 2007 and joined Iranian popular team Persepolis after five years.

Ansarifard has made 54 appearances for Iran national football team and scored 14 times for the team.

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The 20 destinations that will be especially hot this year—and the data you need to plan your trip.
Today’s fast-changing, hyper-globalized world has no shortage of incredible travel opportunities. This year, we’ve done all the legwork for you in rooting out the best, pinpointing the biggest hotel openings and cultural events of the year—along with the places you’ll want to see now, before they change forever.

And because it’s not enough to figure out where to go, we’re also helping you decide when to plan each trip, according to hotel price data from Google and insights from our preferred destination specialists across the globe. The cheapest and most expensive times to go are rarely the best and worst.

So get your passport ready—there’s lots of ground to cover in the next 12 months./ Bloomberg

IRAN

For intrepid travelers, the question is not whether to visit Iran; it’s how to get there before an influx of tourists taints the experience. This is no casual undertaking. The visa application process is lengthy and complex; citizens from the U.S., Canada, and the U.K. must be on escorted tours; and travelers have to abide by a government dress code.

Take our word for it, though. The hassle is worthwhile. Since 2015’s historic nuclear deal was brokered, several companies have launched itineraries and major European airlines have resumed their flights.

On trips such as Cox and King’s Heart of Persia, you’ll get to roam the desert bazaar of Kerman, ogle Moorish palaces and mosaic-tiled mosques in Isfahan, and see ancient sites like the royal city of Persepolis, which dates to roughly 500 B.C.

“These are the kinds of sites that you can’t find elsewhere—and which, in places like Afghanistan and Syria, have been tragically destroyed,” said Brian Allen, Asia specialist for Mountain Travel Sobek, which has been leading tours to Iran for four years.

Iran hotel price, by Google

Then there’s the legendary Persian food and hospitality. “There is a cultural norm in Iran that guests are from god,” Allen said. “I frequently hear people say they’ve been all over the world and never received a welcome like they got there.”

As always, please check your government’s travel alerts website (like this one for the U.S.) before going to a country that shares complex diplomatic relations with your own.

When to go: Late October or early November, when the climate is just right for outdoor sightseeing.
When not to go: Iranian holidays clog the streets with traffic, and Ramadan makes a trip extra-complicated; this year, avoid the last two weeks of March and the month of June.

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A look at what transpired in the past 12 months in Iran’s gradually-developing travel industry: This was a good year for Iran’s nascent tourism sector. Old flight routes resumed operations while new ones were established, the UNESCO World Heritage List featured two more Iranian sites and reputable international groups announced plans to open hotels in Iran.

With 2016 about to take a curtain call, here’s a look at what the year had in store for Iran’s travel industry:

January

The lifting of western-backed economic sanctions on Iran on January 16 set the stage for the country’s emerging tourism sector to begin developing its vastly underdeveloped infrastructure.

Iran Air, the national flag carrier, resumed refueling at airports in Western Europe only three days after the sanctions were removed.

Jamshid Hamzehzadeh, president of the Iranian Hoteliers’ Society, announced that an online hotel booking platform would be launched before the end of January.

February

Tourism officials revealed that Tehran and Paris signed a memorandum of understanding in January when President Hassan Rouhani was visiting the French capital. The purpose of the agreement was to broaden bilateral tourism cooperation.

Training of hotel staff and managers by French experts, increasing bilateral tourism flow and developing Iran’s infrastructure were outlined in the agreement.

Another agreement signed in November between Russia and Iran to simplify visa issuance procedures went into effect on February 6, in what the Russian media called “the first step toward a visa-free regime”.

The Ninth Tehran International Tourism Exhibition, the first tourism expo in the post-sanctions era, was held to a mixed reception. Although international participation had improved compared to the previous year, local exhibitors were clearly aiming for domestic travelers rather than the international market, because they did not expect a huge foreign visitor turnout.

Looking to forge closer ties with Iran, Georgia abolished its visa rules for Iranian nationals.

March

March was a relatively quiet month, but it did have one major event: the Spain-based Melia Hotels International announced plans to open a five-star hotel in Salman-Shahr, Mazandaran Province.

Slated to open in 2017, the 130-meter tower by the Caspian Sea will be Iran’s first foreign-branded seaside hotel in almost 40 years.

French hotel group Accor, which brought its Novotel and Ibis brands to Iran in November 2015, signed an MoU with Iran’s Tourism Holding Company to help the company train hotel staff and upgrade lodgings.

April

Taiwan announced it had eased visa requirements for Iranian citizens by scrapping the need for a letter of guarantee from an individual residing in Taiwan to issue visas to Iranian nationals.

The Global Geoparks Network approved Iran’s dossiers for Qeshm Geopark, bringing it a step closer to regaining its spot in the network.

The Middle East’s only UNESCO-listed geopark, Qeshm Geopark was dropped from the coveted list in 2012 due to problems that have remained unresolved for too long, such as underdeveloped infrastructure and unenforced environmental regulation.

May

The highly anticipated Silk Road Ultramarathon (May 2-9) was held in Kerman Province’s Shahdad Desert, with 100 runners from countries spanning four continents—Europe, Asia, Africa and South America.

The United States returned 73 relics to Iran after prolonged discussions between the two countries, according to the Foreign Ministry. The artifacts, which date back to the Sassanid era (224–651), had been smuggled out of Iran.

Six new museums opened on May 18, coinciding with the International Museum Day. The museums are either partially or fully owned by private stakeholders, in line with the government’s policy of promoting private ownership of museums.

The sales of items crafted by Iranian artisans in the 26th Iran Handicrafts Exhibition in Tehran set a new record this year, with sales amounting to 58 billion rials ($1.4 million), up from 28 billion rials ($693,000) a year ago.

Tourism officials reached agreements with Turkish and German firms to build a combined 20 hotels in the next 10 years in Iran.

June

Iran’s ATA Airlines launched flights on Tehran-Baku-Tabriz route, which operate twice a week, while Mahan Air expanded its growing flight network by establishing direct flights between Tehran and the Danish capital Copenhagen.

The Islamic Republic of Iran Customs Administration agreed to reduce tariffs for the import of hotel equipment to support the country’s hotel industry. Categorized as luxury items, hotel equipment are taxed at the highest possible rate, which analysts say has impacted the industry and contributed to high room rates.

An ambitious $750-million plan to construct a tourist resort on Qeshm Island was unveiled. The resort will cover 46 hectares and include Qeshm’s first-ever five-star hotel, which will include 200 rooms and 150 suites. The multipurpose complex will also be equipped with sports, cultural and commercial facilities, including a multiplex cinema, an amphitheater, tennis and badminton courts, a gym and two football fields.

July

Iran’s ancient Qanat system and Lut Desert were inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List during the 40th session of the World Heritage Committee, increasing the number of world heritage sites in Iran to 21—more than any other country in the Middle East.

Iran banned all tours to Turkey following the failed coup attempt to topple the government of Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The chaos in Turkey left 10,000 Iranian tourists stranded but they managed to return home gradually on planes sent to Turkey for this particular purpose.

August

Iranian and Armenian officials waived the visa regime, opening their borders to allow free travel between the neighboring countries.

The first Asia Cooperation Dialogue Ministerial Meeting on Tourism was held in the northwestern city of Tabriz, East Azarbaijan Province. The two-day summit was hosted by Iran’s Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism Organization.

Iran lifted its ban on tours to Turkey following discussions between the foreign ministers of the two countries.

September

British Airways resumed direct flights to Iran after a nearly four-year suspension, following the lifting of sanctions on the country.

Describing Tehran as “an important destination” for the airline, BA said it was going operate six return flights per week between London Heathrow and the Iranian capital, which will be increased to a daily service.

A cruise line between Oman’s Khasab Port and Iran’s Bahonar Port in Bandar Abbas, Hormozgan Province, was officially launched, opening Iran’s southern coasts up to tourists from the Persian Gulf littoral countries.

As part of plans to develop the country’s health tourism, ICHHTO said it had issued licenses for 14 tour companies to operate in the sector, while authorizing 98 hospitals to launch an international patients department.

October

The International Tourism Investment Conference, touted as the largest confab of its kind in Iran, was held in Tehran to entice foreign investors into financing hotel projects. Representatives from 60 international firms based in Europe, Africa and Asia attended the event.

At the event, officials announced that all tourism activities can enjoy a 100% tax holiday for three to 13 years, depending on the project’s location.

Masoud Soltanifar, the head of ICHHTO, was appointed the new minister of sports and youth affairs, leaving pundits wondering who would replace him at the helm of the country’s tourism authority.

After months of legal tussle, the height of two 24-meter-high silos on the outskirts of the ruins of Persepolis and Naqsh-e-Rostam in Marvdasht, Fars Province, was reduced by 7 meters.

Legally, no structure in the vicinity of Persepolis should be taller than 8.5 meters, which means that the silos are still higher than permitted.

November

In an interview with Financial Tribune, Gholamheydar Ebrahim Bay Salami, the head of Tourism Holding Company and one of the organizers of International Tourism Investment Conference, said his company received offers from renowned international groups, such as Accord and Bouygues Batiment, to build 30 hotels in Iran.

President Hassan Rouhani appointed Zahra Ahmadipour to head ICHHTO, following the appointment of her predecessor, Masoud Soltanifar, as the new minister of sports and youth affairs in late October.

Through a court order, the Revitalization and Utilization Fund for Historical Places took back the management rights of the 17th-century Vakil Bazaar in Kerman Province after the private company that had leased the site failed to uphold its end of the contract.

Simon Press, senior director of World Travel Market London, a leading industry exhibition, said he expected Iran to impress again following its showing in the last expo.

According to the director of WTM London, one in three industry executives expect to do more business in Iran next year.

“A number of multinational companies have expressed interest in developing the country’s tourism infrastructure,” he told TTN Worldwide.

December

In its proposed budget bill for the next fiscal year that starts on March 21, 2017, the government earmarked a 12% increase in the tourism authority’s funding.

While marginally better than the current year’s budget, the proposed funding failed to satisfy observers, who point out that the proposed $200-million budget is insufficient to meet the rapidly-growing industry’s needs.

Ali Baqer Nemati Zargaran, director of the Promotion and Marketing Office at ICHHTO, said Iran is in talks with Russia, Azerbaijan, India and China to promote visa-free travel.

Following reports that the owner of Villa Namazee in Tehran’s affluent Niavaran neighborhood was set to demolish the iconic 1960s building to build a 20-floor hotel, activists staged an online campaign to save the building.

Designed by the famed Italian architect Gio Ponti, Villa Namazee forms part of an influential trio of properties by Ponti, along with Villa Planchart and Villa Arreaza, both in Caracas, Venezuela. To help save the building, Matthew Licitra, Ponti’s grandson, said he would travel to Tehran./ Financial Tribune

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Iran could become the leading tourism market in the Middle East and North Africa region, says an international market analyst.

Nikola Kosutic the respected international analyst and head of research for the Middle East region at Euromonitor believes that “the potential is enormous when you consider where they are now, and what they could achieve in the near future. Iran is likely to become the leading tourism market in the Middle East and North Africa Region, provided the infrastructure is able to develop and cope with changes.”

Euromonitor International’s full report on travel and tourism in Iran outlines the way ahead, and the threats to achieving the country’s goal of attracting a huge increase in tourists by 2025, amounting to 35 billion US dollars a year. Tourism currently accounts for less than eight billion dollars.

The report will be a main focus for discussion at the inaugural Iran Hotel & Tourism Investment Conference (IHTIC) being organized by Bench Events on 7-8 February – a new high-level gathering of international investors, consultants and local leaders in the hospitality industry, who will come together to meet each other and discuss how to develop the country’s tourism sector.

Iran offers a diversity that is unique in the region, according to the report. Blending Persian and Arab cultures, the list of attractions is long: from the great city of Isfahan, to the mountains of Damavand, the religious tourism site of Mashhad, and the island of Kish.

While the US still has sanctions in place, hotel groups headquartered outside the USA have already started to move in. The French Accor group became the first in 2016. Others are following including the UAE’s Rotana and Spain‘s Melia. It’s expected that by 2018 Iran will have six different international brands.

In response, the country is trying to move fast to develop its infrastructure including increasing airport capacity at Tehran, Isfahan, Tabriz, Mashhad and Shiraz. Iranian airlines has purchased more aircraft as international airlines start to focus on the market, including British Airways, which recently launched daily flights to Tehran.

But there are weaknesses, according to the Euromonitor report. Airport capacity is still limited and more investment is needed. The hotel market is massively under supplied often with poorly trained staff. And Internet infrastructure – especially online payment systems – is underdeveloped as a result of banking sanctions.
The report says the current Iranian government wants to encourage international tourism – apart from anything else, it needs the revenue. It is backing – politically and financially – a cultural heritage organisation to co-ordinate 160 projects, including hotels. And it is advertising abroad.

“With culture, ecotourism, and skiing, there are attractions across age groups, they can compete against many regional destinations, notably Egypt, Dubai, Oman and Turkey, the latter of which has recently faced an increase in terrorism. By contrast, Iran is considered to be a safe destination”, Nikola Kosutic added.
The largest source markets at the moment are Iraq and Azerbaijan, but the fastest growth has come from countries in Europe, and Americans are returning as well after decades of Iranian isolation. Nikola predicts that Russians will also arrive in big numbers. Visa procedures are being relaxed – Iran has started issuing 30-day visas for tourists from 58 countries on arrival.
For investors things are not quite as easy. A reliable local partner – to navigate bureaucracy, business rivalry, and even corruption – is crucial. Without one, the task is impossible.

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Iran has been recommended as a top travel destination for 2017 as the country takes steps to ease visa rules for foreign tourists.

Business Insider has named Iran among 50 places to travel to in 2017, commending the country’s security as a key factor behind attracting more tourists.

Iran is considered as one of the safest countries in the Middle East.

Business Insider has foreseen a tourist influx into Iran with more new direct flights operated from European capitals to Tehran.

The country’s tourism sector has already been thriving in the wake of a landmark nuclear deal with the six world powers back in July 2015.

Back in 2014, the country hosted more than 5 million tourists, earning some $7.5 billion in revenue.

Iran aspires to host 20 million tourists annually by 2025, with expectations of expanding the tourist sector to $30 billion.

Iranian authorities have already unveiled sweeping plans including easing visa restrictions as well as constructing new hotels as part of efforts to attract more foreign tourists.

Issuing visas on arrival at the airport for nationals of 190 countries as well as issuing electronic visas are among the initiatives the Iranian officials are mulling in this regard.

Thanks to its ancient architecture, eye-catching mosques, public baths and markets as well as incredible natural beauty, Iran has already been listed as one of the top travel destinations.

The country is home to 21 special sites registered on the World Heritage List of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

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Persian Food Primer: 10 Essential Iranian Dishes
A true gourmet must know gormeh. We have proof.

A visit to Iran yields a stunning variety of culinary delights. That’s because of the country’s unique history and geography, which translates to a diverse mix of cultural in×uences on the cuisine. Louisa ShaÖa, author of The New Persian Kitchen, guides us through the basics.

By: Louisa ShaÖa: A visit to Iran yields a stunning variety of culinary delights. Between the familiar kebab and the decidedly outré grilled lamb’s testicles, there’s a vast spectrum of foods: caviar, pickle, and smoked äsh in the north; samosas, falafel and hot and sour shrimp in the south; noodles, åatbread and rosewater-scented ice cream across the country. Take a look at Iran’s place on the map and it’s easy to understand why the scope of native foods is so wide. Once the center of the Persian Empire, Iran neighbors the former Soviet Union countries, as well as Afghanistan, Pakistan, the Arab states and Turkey. Although Iran is part of the Middle East, it has close ties to Europe, the Far East and Africa, owing to its central place on the Silk Road trade route.

Kebabs come in many kinds: beef, chicken, lamb liver, among them.

What’s more, the ancient warrior-king of Greece, Alexander the Great, conquered the Persian Empire back in the 4th century, and later it was invaded by Arabs, Turks, Mongols and Uzbeks. While Iranians already had a well-developed food identity before these invasions, they assimilated what the outsiders brought in. Think Russian-style borscht with cumin and cilantro and Chinese noodles in a soup of beans, herbs and sour fermented whey. Many coveted ingredients are native to Iran, including pistachios, almonds, walnuts, saffron, mint, oranges, pomegranates and grapes. Iran has a variable climate with four distinct seasons, and unlike other parts of the Middle East, where the dry terrain limited what food could be grown, the ancient Persians transformed vast stretches of arid land into fertile oases via underground aquifers that drew melted snow water into the desert. A bright, sensuous, fruit-and-herb älled cuisine was born. A core curriculum of classic Persian favorites can be found on most Persian-American restaurant menus. Here are 10 to try. Noosh-e jan! (Yes, that’s Farsi for “bon appétit.”)

1. Fesenjan (Pomegranate Walnut Stew) This iconic stew, an essential part of every Persian wedding menu, pairs tart pomegranate with chicken or duck. Ground walnuts, pomegranate paste and onions are slowly simmered to make a thick sauce. Sometimes saffron and cinnamon are added, and maybe a pinch of sugar to balance the acid. Fesenjan has a long pedigree. At the ruins of Persepolis, the ancient ritual capital of the Persian Empire, archaeologists found inscribed stone tablets from as far back as 515 B.C., which listed 5/9/2016 Persian Food Primer: 10 Essential Iranian Dishes – Food Republic http://www.foodrepublic.com/2014/10/29/persian­food­primer­10­essential­iranian­dishes/ 4/9 pantry staples of the early Iranians. They included walnuts, poultry and pomegranate preserves, the key ingredients in fesenjan.

2. Bademjan (Eggplant And Tomato Stew) This stew has the shimmering red-gold color of tomatoes cooked with turmeric, with a sheen of oil on top, a prized characteristic in Persian cooking that shows a stew has been cooked long enough for the oils to rise up. Slightly tart, with the tang of tomatoes, lemon juice, and sometimes the juice of unripe grapes, its tanginess is kept in check by the eggplant, which is ärst fried on its own until golden-brown, then cooked with onions, lamb and the tomatoes and seasoning. Like all Persian stews, bademjan is thick and meant to be eaten over rice with a fork.

3. Baghali Polo (Rice With Dill And Fava Beans) In Iranian cooking, rice can be prepared simply with butter and saffron, known as chelo. But just as often, it’s cooked with other ingredients and called polo. Polo can be made with herbs, vegetables, beans, nuts, dried fruit, meat and even noodles, and acts as the centerpiece of the meal. This polo is particularly good in the spring, when fava beans are young and tender and dill is in season. The dish is åecked with green dill and favas, and is often cooked with very tender chunks of lamb. Alternately, it may be served alongside lamb on the bone. The rice should have a mild saffron åavor, with the saffron mixed into the rice just before serving.

4. Zereshk Polo (Barberry Rice) Iranians love sour åavors. Like cranberries, barberries have a vibrant red color, but they’re even more sour. This classic rice dish is studded with the red berries, which are dried and then rehydrated before cooking. The rice is cooked with plenty of butter, which helps to soften the intensity of the berries. Quince, rhubarb, green plums, sour oranges, lemons, limes, dried limes, sour cherries, tamarind, sumac and pomegranate are all used in Persian cooking to make food more tart.

5. Gormeh Sabzi (Green Herb Stew) Made from herbs, kidney beans and lamb, deep green gormeh sabzi satisäes two Persian åavor obsessions: it’s sour and full of herbs. The stew is seasoned with dried limes, limoo omani in Farsi. These limes are extra intense and sour, with a bittersweet taste that gives the stew a unique åavor. The other constant in gormeh sabzi is fenugreek leaves, a taste unfamiliar to most westerners. Other herbs include parsley, coriander and scallions.

6. Ash e Reshteh (Noodle and Bean Soup) A richly textured soup full of noodles, beans, herbs and leafy greens like spinach and beet leaves. It’s topped with mint oil, crunchy fried onions and sour kashk, a fermented whey product eaten in the Middle East that tastes akin to sour yogurt. The noodles, which made their way to Iran from China, are thought to represent the many paths of life, and this soup is traditionally served when someone sets off on a long journey. Because of its auspicious ingredients, it’s also part of the menu for Norooz, the Persian new year, which occurs at the spring equinox in March.

7. Tahdig (Crunchy Fried Rice)

It’s the crisp, golden layer of fried rice at the bottom of the rice pot, and it tastes like a combination of popcorn and potato chips, but with the delicate åavor of basmati ice. (Tahdig is usually not printed on the menu, so you may have to ask for it.) At Iranian family gatherings, there are always plenty of leftovers, but the one dish that disappears completely is tahdig. It’s eaten as a side dish, and it’s forgivable to pick it up and eat it with your ängers

8. Jeweled Rice (Rice with Nuts and Dried Fruit) Dotted with brightly colored dried fruit and nuts, like little jewels, this is a sweet-andsavory dish that shows off some of the native ingredients of Iran, including pistachios, almonds, candied orange peel, barberries, carrots and saffron. It’s cooked with a little sugar to balance the sourness of the barberries. Jeweled rice is served for special occasions, particularly at weddings, because the sweet elements symbolize a sweet life. It’s traditionally served with chicken, which contrasts nicely with the sweetness.

9. Kebab (Lamb, Chicken, Lamb Liver, Ground Meat) Kebabs have more variety than you might think. First, there’s koobideh, ground meat seasoned with minced onion, salt and pepper. It sounds simple, but the taste is sublime. There is kebab-e barg, thinly sliced lamb or beef, åavored with lemon juice and onion and basted with saffron and butter. Chicken kebab, known as joojeh, is traditionally made from a whole chicken, bones and all, for more åavor (although in American restaurants it’s often made from skinless chicken breast), marinated in lemon and onion, and basted with saffron and butter. If you’re lucky, you’ll änd jigar, lamb liver kebab, garnished with fresh basil leaves and a wedge of lemon.

10. Sabzi Khordan (Herb and Cheese Plate) No Persian meal is complete without a dish of sabzi khordan, or edible herbs. The plate can include mint, tarragon, basil and cilantro, alongside scallions, radishes, walnuts, feta cheese and Iranian nan (åatbread). Simply tear off a piece of åatbread, tuck a bit of the herbs and cheese and other garnishes inside, and fold it up like a rustic sandwich. The plate stays on the table throughout the meal, and the herbs are a crunchy palate cleanser between bites of stew and rice. Fresh and dried green herbs are eaten daily in Iran. The Zoroastrian new year Norooz celebrates rebirth and renewal, and the Norooz menu includes several dishes made with green herbs representing new life, including rice with herbs, an herb omelet and the herb platter.

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By Tom Allen  : It’s really, really lovely to hear this reaction from viewers of Karun. It is exactly the reaction I’d hoped for, ever since my idea to make a travel documentary in Iran was born.

Best of all, it is a natural reaction.

We designed the adventure loosely to let Iran and the Iranians we met speak for themselves. They did. That’s what’s elicits the “wow”.

However, it is possible that by waiting so long (I’ve been visiting Iran annually since 2008) and then investing so much time in making the film (nearly two years at the time of writing), I may actually have missed my own boat.

The aim with Karun was always to try and paint a more nuanced portrait of this misunderstood nation, and to make it feel like a viable destination for travel. Following the longest river in the country was just an excuse. But in the 18 months or so between our journey and the film’s launch, it seems Iran has already become such a destination.

I don’t quite know how it happened, but the pioneers of the adventure travel industry, sniffing the wind, had been way ahead of the game, ensuring that the moment Iran became ‘safe’ – as it has this year, according to the ever-reliable FCO travel advice page – there was an offer on the table. Indeed, I remember suggesting Iran to one particular operator after returning from the Karun trip. Their first expedition to the country departed last month.

And the mainstream is catching up. Only last week there was a travel industry event in London on the topic of exploiting Iran’s potential as a destination. Wanderlust’s latest issue features a lengthy piece on Iran. An editor I spoke to at a travel publishing house is working through a dozen book proposals set in the country.

And every major broadsheet (or former broadsheet) in the UK has published, during 2015, at least one lengthy feature on Iran as the next big travel destination. Witness correspondents from The Times, The Telegraph, The Guardian and The Independent all attempting to be seen as breaking new ground by visiting a 6,000-year-old civilization. (OK, Chris used to live there, but you know what I mean.)

Even the Daily Mail has followed suit (obviously this link implies no endorsement), which is, as we all know, the best possible measure of mainstream British sentiment there is.

Part of it is undoubtedly what the media have cast as a ‘thawing of relations’ between Iran and the West. The widely-propagated narrative has been one in which the mardy mullahs, having suffered for years under sanctions imposed by austere Western diplomats, finally decide to sit down over a glass of chay and come to a compromise over the small question of nuclear weapons (which, as we all know, only Western powers have ever been trustworthy enough keep pointed at their neighbours). Another righteous victory for the West; this time, somewhat surprisingly, without resorting to bombing the shit out of another Middle Eastern nation.

I digress. The point is that, by the time our film was released, Iran’s image had already softened.

And several things happened upon the prospect of such a historic kiss-and-make-up between Rouhani and Obama. One was that rich businessmen immediately jumped in their private jets and flew to Tehran in order to see how they might profit from the imminent opening-up of yet another new market. Another was that travellers (and travel journalists) started wondering whether imminent political reconciliation meant that it was suddenly viable to travel to Iran.

Putting aside the questionable logic of two presidents ‘phoning each other having the slightest impact upon the likelihood of being obliterated while taking a selfie outside the gates of Persepolis (which tourists have been continuing to do uninterrupted for centuries), it is wonderful that Iran has started to become ‘a destination’ in the minds of more of us.

And Karun will no doubt feed into this mood-swing in favour of revisiting our long-lost Persian friends.

This is all part of a bigger story, of course, which is that of Iran’s imminent reintegration into global society; a story that goes beyond the remits of newspaper travel sections, all-too-often so sickeningly colonial in tone; and of international affairs correspondents whose agenda is set solely in terms of the nuclear narrative. And this bigger story is one I’m much closer to, given that I’m married to a native Tehrani.

From this perspective, the opening-up of Iran has bugger all to do with Western tourists and the non-existent nuclear weapons programme; and everything to do with the lifting of pressure from the shoulders of ordinary Iranians – pressure which, I hardly need add, has been put there deliberately by foreign powers (including our own government) as a way of blackmailing Iran’s politicians to bend the knee Westwards.

When it costs you a tenner to send a single Christmas card abroad; when you’re afraid to take a domestic flight because you know the plane manufacturer isn’t allowed to sell you spare parts; when you can never take a foreign holiday because the money you earn is worthless and every visa application you make is rejected without explanation anyway – that’s what our politicians have been inflicting upon my mother-in-law, my father-in-law, their extended family, my friends in the country, and 80 million other ordinary Iranians, for years.

It’s these pressures that I can’t wait to see lifted. It’s for the sake of people close to me and those I can identify with. I honestly don’t care if it means that I won’t be able to travel comfortably in Iran on £50 a week because the rial is stronger, or that everyone I meet on the street doesn’t immediately drag me – no longer the first Brit they’ve met in years – back to their home for tea/kebab/stay the night/stay another night/marry my daughter.

Altogether, there’s little doubt that the seed now planted – barring something major happening to turn the tables once again – will see ever increasing numbers of travellers to the Islamic Republic, particularly when the visa regime is loosened, as it inevitably will be (by the way, you’ll need to ask The Visa Machine, not me, for the latest news on this).

Of course, with the territory comes the Smug Traveller with something new to brag about – “Really? Well, when I was travelling in Iran…”

And the equally irritating Superior Traveller – “Yeah, Iran’s so popular now… such a shame…” – a sigh, a wistful gaze into the middle distance as memories of when Iran was actually worth visiting come flooding back. (Diddums.)

Yes, things are going to change. Iranians are going to become accustomed to increasing numbers of tourists appearing on their streets, at their historical sites, in their hotels and restaurants. The rial will strengthen, and the cost of travel to the foreigner will increase from embarrassingly cheap to something approaching respectable. And the novelty of being a foreigner in Iran is likely to become a thing of the past.

But you know what? That is the way forward. The day we can travel anywhere on Earth, be momentarily intrigued by those minor cultural differences that breathe fresh air into our experience of life, and then look our fellow humans in the eye and know that we are more or less the same, rather than being aliens to each other; that we share equally the planet we wander, rather than one of us being born free and rich and the other not – that is the day we will have achieved something of which today’s patterns of travel are just an embryonic smudge.

In any case, come 2016, somewhere else will be populating the newspapers’ travel sections as the Next Big Thing…

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Persepolis is the name of the ancient cities of Iran that for years ceremonial capital of the Empire was the Achaemenid Empire of Iran at the time. The location of the works since 1979 registered in UNESCO World Heritage.

Persepolis ( Old Persian Parsa , Takht-e Jamshid or Chehel Minar) was the ceremonial capital of the Achaemenid Empire (ca. 550-330 BCE). Persepolis is situated 70 km northeast of the modern city of Shiraz in the Fars Province of modern Iran. In contemporary Persian, the site is known as Takht-e Jamshid (Throne of Jamshid) and Parseh . The earliest remains of Persepolis date from around 515 BCE. To the ancient Persians, the city was known as Parsa, which means “The City of Persians”. Persepolis is the Greek interpretation of the name ( Perses polis : “Persian city”).

UNESCO declared the citadel of Persepolis a World Heritage Site in 1979.

The uneven plan of the foundation of the terrace acted like a castle whose angled walls enabled its defenders to target any section of the external front. See also: Apadana Palace, Ancient texts, Museums

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