MATTA-Iranian Embassy Collaborate to promote Iran as Safe Tourist Destination

KUALA LUMPUR, July 3 (Bernama) -- The Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents (Matta) and Iran jointly announced a plan on Tuesday to promote Iran as a safe destination not only for tourists, but also for Malaysian business organisations planning to penetrate the Iranian market. Matta's treasurer, Razali Mohd Sham said that both sides were in the midst of establishing a consortium of travel agents to introduce Iran as a new destination for Malaysian tourists with attractive packages. "Some of the travel agencies have started to sell their own packages but we plan to introduce this package in September during the Matta fair," he said at a joint press conference with Behzad Khakpour, Iranian embassy's Third Counsellor. The collaboration came into being after a Matta-led delegation of 21 travel agents visited the Islamic Republic last month with an objective of increasing the tourist traffic flow from Malaysia to Iran. During the visit, Isfahan, Kuala Lumpur’s twin city, agreed to coordinate with Matta, Air Asia, Iran Air and Mahan Air to provide a direct chartered flight between Kuala Lumpur and Isfahan on a weekly basis. According to Matta, Malaysian tourists are expected to increase in Isfahan and other parts of the Islamic Republic due to such ease in commute. Isfahan is located about 340 km south of Tehran. Designated by UNESCO as a world heritage, Isfahan contains a wide range of Islamic Architectural styles ranging from the 11th century (C.E.) to the 19th. Today Isfahan, the third largest city in Iran, produces fine carpets, textiles, steel, and handicrafts. At the press conference, Khakpour also emphasised the peaceful existence of Iran, saying that the country is not only a safe place for tourists, but also offers a variety of cultural and historical attractions that have been well preserved. He said that some 135,000 Iranians visited Malaysia every year, even though the number of Malaysian tourists to Iran is relatively small. He hoped that the collaboration will change the prevalent perceptions amongst Malaysians, adding that Iran also plans to organise ‘Isfahan Cultural Week’ in Malaysia later this year to promote Iranian culture and places. "The Iranian government, together with Iran’s Cultural Heritage, Handcrafts and Tourism Organisation, has been working really hard to achieve the target of 7.5 million tourists in 2012, including those from Malaysia," he claimed. Noting that Iran enjoys a good relationship with Malaysia, he said that other measures being worked out by the two governments include allowing Malaysian and Iranian banks to provide banking facilities for tourists from both countries. "We plan to provide facilities that will allow Malaysian tourists to make withdrawals from ATMs (automated teller machine) in Iran with similar facilities to follow for the Iranian tourists in Malaysia," he added. Meanwhile, a delegation member who visited Iran last month, Zarinah Hashim, said that Malaysian tourists who are keen to go for a "ski holiday" could choose Dizin in Iran for such activities, which is much cheaper compared to European destinations. Dizin is a ski resort situated at the Alborz mountain range, near Iran's capital Tehran. -- BERNAMA