The Iranian government is preparing a bill that will not include entry and exit stamps in the passports of foreign tourists. The measure is intended to allay tourists' concerns in the context of US sanctions, Interfax reports, citing the Mehr agency.
"In order to address tourists' concerns about US sanctions on people visiting Iran, the Islamic Republic will soon begin a program under which it will not stamp the passports of tourists arriving in the country," the statement said.
Iran's Vice President and head of the Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism Organization (ICHTO) Ali Asghar Mounesan has assured local hoteliers and tourism industry players 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, and this will allay tourists’ concerns about traveling to Iran due to US sanctions,” the agency’s website quotes him as saying.
He cited data from the Iranian Migration Police, according to which, overall, the flow of foreign tourists 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 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) was concluded in 2015. Since early August, an embargo has been in place on supplies of coal, aluminum, steel, graphite, and software, as well as a ban on foreign exchange transactions with the Iranian real. Since November, sanctions will affect the Iranian Central Bank, ports, maritime transport, and the energy sector.
Source: trn-news.ru
