In the heart of the millennia-old Hyrcanian forests in Iran’s northern Mazandaran Province, a rocky waterfall surrounded by trees has turned the area into a pristine tourist attraction for those who can endure the arduous trek.

The 48-meter Gazou Waterfall in the Lefour region of Savadkuh is one of the tallest waterfalls in the province

Following a proposal by the Ministry of Tourism last year, the Iranian government is considering scrapping visa requirements for passport holders from 68 countries, with the scheme aiming to attract more tourists as well as facilitate travel to this country.

TEHRAN – More than 200 villages in Khuzestan have been selected for rural tourism development across the southwestern Iranian province, the provincial tourism chief said on Monday.

TEHRAN – A salvage dig in northwest Iran has unearthed arrays of rare funerary tomb chambers estimated to date from the Sassanid era.

The discovery marks rare Sassanid burial [ruins] being discovered in West Azarbaijan, the provincial tourism chief said on Saturday.

The tomb chambers were found during a salvage work conducted on one of the 11th satellite sites in Oshnavieh county before they were submerged by the impact of a developing dam nearby.

TEHRAN – The visa-free tourist travel agreement between Iran and Russia has led to an increase in Russian tourism companies visiting Iran, an Iranian tourism expert has said. 

Mostafa Shafiei Shakib stated that the cancellation of group visas has facilitated this increase in visits.

However, the Russian travel market for Iran has not yet reached its full potential, especially when compared to China, he added. 

More time and advertising are necessary to increase the number of Russian tourists traveling to Iran, he suggested. 

Kandovan, a picturesque village nestled in East Azerbaijan Province, northwestern Iran, has achieved a remarkable milestone by securing its place on the prestigious list of the world’s best tourism villages recognized by the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO).

TEHRAN – Iran’s tourist arrivals from China and Oman have been on the rise over the past couple of years, since the Islamic Republic abolished visa requirements for their nationals.

“Statistical studies show the numbers of Chinese and Omani nationals traveling to Iran have increased after the country implemented one-way visa cancellation treaties in [the Iranian calendar year] 1398 (started on March 2017),” ISNA quoted a tourism official as saying on Tuesday.

Iran’s spring tourist arrivals from China show a 57 percent increase compared to the same three-month period in 2017, Moslem Shojai said.

TEHRAN – Qazvin’s tourism directorate has introduced a selection of 22 rural villages as its emerging destinations for rural tourism across the west-central Iranian province.

After rounds of assessments conducted by the provincial experts, 22 villages with tourism values have been shortlisted for rural tourism, the deputy provincial tourism chief said on Monday.

With these new selections, the number of Qazvin’s touristic villages reaches 29, the report said.

TEHRAN–A senior Iranian archaeologist has underlined the need for conducting preliminary work aimed to pave the way for possible registration of Tepe Ozbaki, a 9,000-year-old site, situated some 80 km from Tehran.

Credited with extensive Iron Age studies, Mostafa Dehpahlavan called for conducting supplementary and comparative excavations at the site, IRIB reported on Friday.

Moreover, Dehpahlavan, who presides over the Research Institute of Cultural Heritage and Tourism, demanded work to spotlight the site’s findings.

Kermanshah’s tourism directorate is organizing a chain of festivals and events to help promote rural tourism based on a local calendar dedicated to its farm products, the Young Journalists Club quoted the provincial tourism chief as saying on Friday.

As Iran’s tourism industry grows, a new generation of hostels catering to younger travelers is springing up around the country.

Susa, a treasured ancient Iranian city occupying the whole southern flank of modern Shush, is set to develop tourist infrastructure as a prerequisite for a tourism boom.

“We are planning to help develop tourism in Susa which leads to the economic prosperity in this region,” Shush Governor Mohsen Hoveyzeh said on Sunday.

A top destination for modern travelers, the UNESCO-listed Susa was once the winter residence of Persian kings after having been captured by Cyrus the Great. Susa became part of the Persian Empire under Cyrus II, the Great in 538 or 539 BC.

Kish Free Zone Organization CEO Rahim Sarhangi has said the southern Iranian island seeks to attract more international visitors.

The UNESCO World Heritage Committee has added Iran’s historical caravanserais to its World Heritage List at the 45th session of the United Nations’ cultural organization in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

UNESCO has selected 54 historical caravanserais located in 24 provinces across Iran and inscribed them on its world heritage list.

TEHRAN – Iran’s Minister of Cultural Heritage, Tourism, and Handicrafts Ezzatollah Zarghami has said that the Islamic Republic is considering restoring tourism ties with Egypt.