Travelers can drive personal vehicles between two countries
Iran, Armenia collaborate to facilitate tourism
By Sadeq Dehqan
Staff writer
The vice president of the Iran-Armenia Parliamentary Friendship Group announced the signing of a cooperation agreement to facilitate tourism between the two countries.
Ara Shaverdian, in an interview with Iran Daily, added that according to the agreement facilitated by the Touring & Automobile Club of the Islamic Republic of Iran, under the supervision the Ministry of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts, Armenian and Iranian tourists can travel to either country with their personal vehicles, and without the previous requirement of a deposit.
Shaverdian emphasized the need to strengthen campsite facilities in Iran to facilitate ground travel for tourists from various European and Caucasian countries to Iran.
He highlighted the importance of providing the necessary infrastructure for road, highway, and tourist facilities to attract foreign tourists through neighboring countries.
He urged the development of campsites and accommodations to enable tourists from different parts of Europe and Armenia to enter Iran with camper vans and engage in tourism, allowing them to enter and exit Iran from various borders after traveling to different parts of the country.
He stated that Iran, with its various tourist attractions, must improve road and tourism facilities to attract foreign tourists and facilitate their ground entry through neighboring countries. Comparing the number of tourists in both Iran and Armenia, Shaverdian noted that more tourists have historically traveled from Iran to Armenia than vice versa.
He attributed this to the previous lack of opportunities for Armenian tourists to travel to Iran with personal vehicles. Shaverdian highlighted the unique atmosphere of ground travel and the cost-effectiveness of ground travel compared to air travel.
He mentioned that the peak of Iranian tourist travel to Armenia occurs during Nowruz (Persian New Year), Christian New Year, and the summer season.
Regarding air travel between Iran and Armenia, Shaverdian explained that several Iranian airlines, including Qeshm Air and Iran Airtour, operate flights to Armenia, with a minimum of two to three flights per week during high season.
Shaverdian suggested promoting tourist attractions in the Azarbaijan region of Iran to Armenians and expanding air routes to cities such as Isfahan and Bandar Abbas.
He mentioned that Iran, considered among the top ten countries globally in terms of technical and engineering knowledge, has recently collaborated with Armenian companies to construct a 35-kilometer road project from the Armenian border to Yerevan.
He added that the current 300-km road from Iran to Yerevan takes about seven to eight hours due to road difficulties. However, with the construction of this road, featuring bridges and tunnels, travel time is expected to be reduced by half.