Iran is hoping to increase tourism to the country and is doing so by building new hotels as well as offering a new tax break. The deputy economy minister Mohammad Khazaei spoke to hoteliers from 18 countries about the opportunities.
“All economic activities related to…tourism will enjoy 100 percent tax holidays between five to 13 years depending on the region.”
In 2015 Iran saw 5.2 million visitors, which was up from 2.2 million in 2009. They are hoping to significantly raise those numbers to 20 million by the year 2025, which would include building at least 300 hotels within the next five years, as well as making “radical improvements to its low-quality tourist accommodation.”
The hotel company Accor is one that is already actively working on 10 to 15 projects in Iran. Christophe Landais, the chief operating officer for France’s Accor Hotels in Iran said spoke about their current interests, particularly in the area of Mashhad.
“We are working actively on 10 to 15 projects in Iran. Mashhad is the destination for pilgrims. Actually Mashhad receives more pilgrims than Mecca in Saudi Arabia — about 25 million.”
