Indian Ambassador Champions Iran Tourism, Challenges Media View

India’s Ambassador to Tehran, Rudra Gaurav Shresth, has stated that the image of Iran portrayed in Western media is completely different from the country’s reality. The comments were made during a meeting with Ezzatollah Zarghami, Iran’s Minister of Cultural Heritage, Tourism, and Handicrafts, in Tehran on Saturday.

Ambassador Shresth told the minister, “What is depicted in the Western media about Iran is completely different from the reality I have witnessed up close.” He highlighted the safety, security, and warm hospitality he has experienced while in the country. The discussion between the two officials focused on leveraging the deep-rooted ties between the nations to enhance tourism.

### Fostering Deeper Tourism and Cultural Ties

The Indian ambassador emphasized the strong historical, cultural, and civilizational connections between Iran and India. He noted that many historical monuments in India were either built by Iranian architects or heavily influenced by Iranian architectural styles.

According to Shresth, Iran possesses “countless tourist attractions” and there is significant interest among Indian tourists in visiting the nation’s historical and cultural sites. He expressed his hope for an increase in tourism between the two countries.

### Iranian Initiatives to Boost Visitor Numbers

Iran’s Tourism Minister, Ezzatollah Zarghami, affirmed the positive perception of Iran among the Indian people and highlighted recent government actions to facilitate travel. He described Iran’s new unilateral visa waiver program for Indian nationals as a “turning point” in developing tourism relations.

To counter media misrepresentations, Zarghami suggested organizing familiarization tours for Indian tourism activists and media representatives to allow them to see the “true face” of Iran. The minister also pointed to the Chabahar Port as a significant symbol of the economic cooperation between the two nations.

Key Points
* Iran’s unilateral visa waiver plan applies to ordinary passport holders from 33 countries, including India.
* The Iranian tourism ministry has a target to attract 20 million foreign tourists by the year 2025.

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