Iranian tourism industry -despite enormous potentials -has faced a number of challenges including wide ranging nuclear related sanctions, negative imagery in the west and lack of effective management of resources. The aim of this paper is to focus on the perspectives of Iranian tourism suppliers who have a crucial role in the development and success of the tourism industry in the country. The findings of this paper are based on interviews conducted in Iran with representatives of Iranian tourism suppliers from both the public and private sector. The analysis of these interviews suggests that tourism suppliers face two major challenges: (1) Iran's negative imagery in the West and (2) lack of resources to tackle this negative discourse.This paper also provides an overview of the potential future opportunities which the recently forged nuclear agreement could present for Iranian tourism suppliers.
Since the implementation day of the Iran nuclear agreement, on 14 July 2015, and the subsequent softening of international sanctions against the country, Iran's tourism industry has experienced considerable advancements. This is evident through the notable increase in inbound arrivals to the country, particularly from the Western markets, and foreign investment in tourism-related infrastructure. The election of Donald Trump as the 45th United States president and his chaotic and controversial (or indeed lack of clear) foreign policy, however, has cast serious doubt on the future of the nuclear agreement. This paper aims to: (1) explore some of the positive impacts that the Iran nuclear deal has had on tourism development in Iran, over the past two years; and (2) provide an overview of possible future challenges, particularly in relation to Donald Trump's new aggressive foreign policy towards Iran.
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