TEHRAN, Iran — Iran has witnessed more than 30% growth in tourism since last year. Administration officials say it’s just the beginning of a boom in the country’s untapped sector, which is set to create millions of jobs and bring billions of dollars to the economy in the near future.
Tourism in Iran came under the spotlight after The Guardian placed the country, early in January, as No. 11 on its list of “Holiday hotspots: where to go in 2014.” The British newspaper wrote, “There hasn't been a better time for Westerners to visit Iran since the 1979 revolution,” noting that the country is safer than ever thanks to the “November’s historic nuclear agreement” between Iran and the P5+1 nations, the five UN Security Council permanent members plus Germany.