The Iranian government is preparing a bill that will eliminate entry and exit stamps in foreign tourists' passports. The measure is intended to allay tourists' concerns amid US sanctions, Interfax reports, citing the Mehr news agency.
"To address tourists' concerns about US sanctions on people visiting Iran, the Islamic Republic will soon begin a program to waive the passports of tourists arriving in the country," the statement said.
Iran's Vice President and head of the Iranian Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism Organization (ICHTO) Ali Asghar Mounesan assured local hoteliers and tourism industry participants that the Iranian government will take protectionist measures to support the industry in the face of unilateral US sanctions against Iran.
"Entry and exit stamps will not be placed in tourists' passports. This will alleviate tourists' concerns about traveling to Iran due to US sanctions," the agency's website quotes him as saying.
He cited data from the Iranian Immigration Police, according to which, overall, foreign tourist flow to the republic increased by 38% in the first four months of this year, while the number of European tourists decreased, which affected the profitability of 4- and 5-star hotels.
The United States has reinstated some of the unilateral sanctions against Iran that were in place before the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). Since early August, an embargo has been in effect on coal, aluminum, steel, graphite, and software, as well as a ban on foreign exchange transactions with the Iranian real. Beginning in November, the sanctions will target the Iranian Central Bank, ports, maritime transport, and the energy sector.
Source: trn-news.ru
