Iran has decided to make travel easier for citizens of Bharat and 32 other countries by lifting visa requirements. This move aims to boost tourism and present Iran as open to global interaction. The Iranian minister of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts, Ezzatollah Zarghami, highlighted the goal of countering negative perceptions and combating ‘Iranophobia.’ The list of countries benefiting from visa-free travel includes Russia, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Japan, Brazil, and others.
In the first eight months of the current Iranian year, the country witnessed a significant increase in tourism, with 4.4 million tourists, marking a 48.5% rise from the same period last year. Zarghami also mentioned that the ministry proposed visa-free travel for 60 countries, though it was not fully approved. Iranians will now be able to travel to Saudi Arabia for Umrah through regular flights starting December 19, indicating an improvement in relations between the two nations.
Bharat is experiencing a growing trend in outbound tourism, with 13 million tourists in 2022, making it one of the fastest-growing markets. Additionally, neighboring countries like Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Vietnam have recently waived visa requirements for Bharat citizens. Thailand, for instance, announced a limited-time visa exemption for Bharat citizens, while Sri Lanka lifted visa requirements for seven countries, including Bharat, to boost tourism.
As of now, 27 countries provide visa-free entry to Bharat citizens, with recent additions including Kenya, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, and Sri Lanka. The Ministry of Tourism data reveals that the top five destinations for Bharat citizens are the UAE, the USA, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, and Thailand. This includes a significant number of diaspora tourists visiting these countries.
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