A surprise hot destination where the Australian Government advises against travel

FROM rugged mountain ranges to a plethora of ancient sites — for travellers this country might be one of the most rewarding destinations on Earth.

Country gears up for ‘tsunami’ of tourists

THIRTY-SIX years after it fell off the tourist map, Iran may be set to return to the top of “must-visit” lists for 2016.

Its attractions were never in doubt — from beaches to ski resorts, beautiful Islamic architecture, incredible food and ancient archaeological sites — but the revolution of 1979 and the Iran-Iraq war saw the country go from a destination on the “hippie-trail” to the preserve of a few adventurous travellers.

Now, as relations have thawed between Iran and the West following the election of Hassan Rouhani as president, it’s predicted this will give travellers the reassurance they need to return.

Could Tehran be the next Aspen?

Iranian officials told Associated Press they’re preparing for a “tsunami” of foreign tourists after the implementation of the nuclear agreement between Iran and the world powers entered a new phase on Sunday.

Iranian Vice President Masoud Soltanifar said Iran will inject new investment into the country’s rich historical and cultural sites, which have suffered a sharp decline in tourism during years of Western sanctions.

A country rich in historical and cultural treasures largely unseen by Western eyes, Iran will unveil an investment package of 1,300 projects in the coming days to attract foreign investment and boost the badly-hit tourism industry. Iran is home to 19 UNESCO-registered sites.

Shall I go to see the ancient city of Persepolis next year?

Even before sanctions are lifted, the number of foreigners visiting Iran has grown 12 per cent in each of the past two years. In 2014, Iran hosted over 5 million tourists. The country aims to host 20 million tourists a year by 2025.

About half were Shiite Muslims, the same religious denomination as most Iranians, and the other half were tourists from Europe, North America and East Asia.

France and the United Kingdom have relaxed travel advice for their citizens following the historic July nuclear deal. The UK reopened its embassy in Tehran in August after a four-year closure.

How could you not fall in love with a city called Shiraz?

Iran is currently among the countries on Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade’s “reconsider your need to travel” list due to ongoing regional tensions. DFAT says there’s a threat of terrorist attack against Western interests in Iran.

“We strongly advise you not to travel to areas near the Afghanistan and Pakistan borders,” DFAT says.

Currently, Iran lacks sufficient accommodation and transportation for that number of tourists.

Iran has 1,100 hotels and guesthouses, 130 of them 4 and 5 star hotels.

“We need to increase our four and five star hotels from 130 to 400 in 10 years. We are providing low-interest funds out of the National Development Fund to private investors to build modern hotels,” Soltanifar told AP.

Time for some shopping in the Grand Bazaar of Tehran.

Last month, an Iranian firm signed an agreement with French hotel giant AccorHotels to use the Novotel and ibis brands for 15 years, the first deal of its kind in three decades.

Iran needs more than 400 new passenger planes to compensate for shortages due to sanctions over the past three decades. Of its 250 passenger planes, 100 are currently grounded because of lack of spare parts. The remaining 150 ageing aircraft need to be renovated.

“We need to renovate our air transportation system and buy new planes after sanctions are lifted. But this will be time-consuming,” he added.

Iran has a history of air crashes in recent years, leading to hundreds of casualties. Last week, an Iranian passenger plane safely landed after part of an engine fell off during a flight with 426 passengers and crew members aboard.

Iran’s constitutional watchdog, the Guardian Council, ratified into law this week a parliamentary bill implementing the landmark nuclear deal with world powers. The UN Security Council previously approved the deal on July 20 and US Congress blocked efforts by Republicans to derail the accord in September.

Time for some mountaineering in the Alborz mountain range?