Iran, Russia look to visa waiver plan

Iran and Russia are working toward removing visa requirements for their citizens at a time of a changing geopolitical landscape which has made closer tourism cooperation more viable. 

The two countries have just begun implementing an agreement to simplify visa procedures.

Iran’s Ambassador to Russia Mehdi Sanai said the measure is the first step toward abolition of visa requirements for tourists of the two countries.

"After the signing of an agreement on easing visa requirements in 2015, this will be a step toward abolition of visas for tourist groups," Sanai told reporters in Moscow, Russia’s Sputnik news agency reported.

The two countries have stepped up their tourism cooperation in recent months. An Iranian delegation, headed by a senior official, visited Moscow last month to discuss tourism cooperation.

Iran seeks to take advantage of a diplomatic spat between Russia and Turkey to attract Russian tourists. Head of Russia's State Agency for Tourism Oleg Safonov has said Iran was one of the safest places for his country’s citizens.

In his meeting with the Iranian delegation, Safonov said Iran could fill the void Russia’s tour industry has experienced as a result of worsening relations with Egypt and Turkey.

“Russian tourists are welcome to come any time of year and enjoy any kind of service they possibly need,” deputy head of Iran’s Cultural Heritage and Tourism Organization (ICHTO) Mortaza Rahmani Movahed told Safonov.

According to Sputnik, nearly 34,000 Iranian tourists visited Russia in the first nine months of 2015, a rise of 111% against the same period a year ago.

Earlier this month, ICHTO head Masoud Soltanifar said Iran targeted attracting one or two million visitors by removing tourist visas for Russian nationals.

In recent months, Iran and Russia have moved to fast-track their expansion of ties in time for the lifting of sanctions on the Islamic Republic.

On Thursday, Russian news agencies quoted a senior Iranian official Ali Akbar Velayati as saying in Moscow that Russia had initialed contracts worth around $40 billion.

A package of projects had been signed in the past few months and was ready for implementation, Interfax news agency quoted him as saying.

Iran plans to attract 20 million foreign tourists in order to generate up to $30 billion of revenues a year by 2025.

According to the WTM Global Trends Report 2015 released in London in November, Iran is seen the next tourism hotspot thanks to “its unique culture and heritage.”

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