Iran’s Deputy Tourism Minister Ali-Asghar Shalbafian has proposed abolishing visas for members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) countries in order to boost the tourism sector.
Shalbafian also suggested improving tourism marketing data and introducing a dedicated tourism section on the website of the SCO, VisaGuide.World reports.
In addition, the Minister recommended creating a network of tour operators within the nine Shanghai Cooperation Organization countries in order to manage and promote tourist exchanges supported by multilateral agreements.
The Minister also referred to the diverse cultural, geographical and historical attractions within the SCO, highlighting the important role of the tourism sectors.
Iran’s rich heritage, including 27 UNESCO World Heritage sites, diverse architectural wonders, unique traditions and handicrafts, and renowned cuisine, along with varied climate, from mountainous regions to hot springs. Make the country a one-of-a-kind tourist destination.
Emphasizing that Iran has abolished visa requirements for some 64 per cent of the SCO member states, Shalbafian proposed the introduction of group visas among the SCO member states in order to further ease the travel process.
Currently, over half of the world’s population can travel to Iran without a visa.
Iran, the Newest Member of SCO
The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) is an intergovernmental Eurasian organization created in 2001 that aims to tighten cooperation among its members in various fields including security, economy and politics.
It consisted of eight member states: China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, India and Pakistan. In July 2023, Iran became the newest member of this organization.
Iran Granted Visa-Free Access to Nearly Half of the World
In April this year, Iran’s Minister of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts of Iran, Ezzatollah Zarghami, said that Iran now offers visa-free access to nearly half of the world.
Back then the Minister announced that the country lifted visa requirements for citizens of 33 countries, among them the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Brazil, Japan, and India.
Iran welcomed more than six million tourists in the past Iranian calendar year. However, holders of Iranian passports are eligible to travel visa-free to just 17 countries as of May 2024. Such estimations are based on the Passport Index of VisaGuide.World.
On this index that ranks passports of a total of 199 countries worldwide in terms of the strength of their passport, Iran is placed in the 182nd position.