ID :
187369
Thu, 06/09/2011 - 06:10
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://oananews.org//node/187369
The shortlink copeid
BRINGING IRAN TOURISM TO MALAYSIA
By Mohamad Bakri Darus
TEHRAN (Bernama) - This writer’s first visit to Tehran was an
exciting one. It gave him a chance to witness the Persian history of Iran which
played a major role in the development of the Islamic civilization.
Tehran is about 45km from the Imam Khomeini International Airport. The road
to the capital city has a backdrop of snowy-white mountains.
Tehran, located in the north, experiences sub-zero temperatures in winter.
This rapidly-developing capital city is a site of constant construction of
modern buildings and congested roads.
Tourists can choose to shop at malls or the bazaar, which offers bargain
prices.
LIFESTYLE
Iran is an Islamic republic. Women, including tourists, are expected to wear
hijab, or at least a scarf in public places.
Nighttime activities are limited since the 1979 Iranian Revolution, also e
known as the Islamic Revolution. Nightclubs and bars are banned. Locals prefer
to spend their evenings at recreational parks or eateries.
Tehran locals also enjoy outings in the mountains, especially on weekends.
They find the fresh air of the highlands a welcome change from traffic jams and
vehicle exhaust fumes, said tour guide Niloofar Ghatey.
The writer and several of his Malaysian friends enjoyed the fresh night air
of the Tochal Mountain and the beauty of the Tehran city at night.
The route to the mountain-peak was packed wit h locals and tourists hiking
up and down the summit.
Tehran has many museums and galleries showcasing the evolution of its
civilization. They cover aspects of history, archeology, culture, royalty and
even carpet-making.
The writer visited the Carpet Museum in Laleh Park, which features unique
hand-woven Persian carpets.
The extraordinary finesse in hand-weaving these carpets makes them highly
sought-after. Niloofar said Iranian carpet designs were inspired by elements
of nature and human life. Colours often symbolize the course of life as
experienced by human beings.
A popular dish in Iran is beef and chicken kebabs, served with saffron rice.
Saffron, a spice used in popular Iranian dishes, is one of the most
expensive spices in the world. Iran is one of its largest producers.
TOURISM POTENTIAL
The writer was in Tehran for the Travel Market programme organized by
Tourism Malaysia.
This visit to Tehran happened as a result of the 2011 Arabian Travel Market
in Dubai from May 2 to 5, which was visited by the Malaysian delegation, headed
by Tourism Minister, Dr Ng Yen Yen.
Accompanying the delegation was Tourism Malaysia Director-General, Azizan
Noordin.
The three-day visit to Tehran from May 7 saw Dr Ng meet Iran’s Vice
President, Hamid Baghaei, to discuss the tourism potential.
The meeting was the first of its kind and yielded positive results. Malaysia
and Iran agreed to create a special joint-committee to explore the tourism
potential in both countries.
Popular tourism hot spots in Iran are Isfahan, Shiraz and Mashhad.
Dr Ng and the Malaysian delegation also met with heads of tourism agencies
and airlines in Iran at a dinner function. Many of them expressed interest in
forging tourism-cooperation agreements with Malaysia.
A consortium of agencies from both Malaysian and Iranian tour agencies will
be established for the purpose.
A GROWING NUMBER OF IRANIAN TOURISTS
Dr Ng told Bernama that there was a 14.3 per cent increase in Iranian
visitors last year, compared with the year before (up from 101,664 tourists in
2009 to 116,252 in 2010). This year, Malaysia is expecting 130,000 Iranian
tourists.
She said Tourism Malaysia would increase promotional efforts in Iran by
highlighting Malaysian tourism products such as island holidays, beautiful
parks, shopping complexes and the international shoe festival.
"I notice that in Iran, women play an important role in deciding the
destinations for tourism. So we’ll promote Malaysia accordingly," she said.
Dr Ng said they would prepare a variety of tourism packages for Iranian
citizens aged 55 and above. These could be jointly implemented with Iran’s major
companies taking their employees on trips.
FLOWER GARDENS AND THEME PARKS
Iranians are keenly interest in flower gardens and theme parks, and enjoy
night-time activities like the night safari at the Melaka Zoo and boating at the
Melaka River.
Dr Ng said the Iranian government is also considering a higher frequency of
flights between both countries, especially from the regions of Tehran, Isfahan,
Shiraz and Mashhad, to Kuala Lumpur.
Currently, Iran Air flies four times a week from Tehran to Kuala Lumpur.
Low-cost carrier AirAsia flies three times a week from Tehran, while Mahan Air
flies twice a week from Shiraz.
TEHRAN (Bernama) - This writer’s first visit to Tehran was an
exciting one. It gave him a chance to witness the Persian history of Iran which
played a major role in the development of the Islamic civilization.
Tehran is about 45km from the Imam Khomeini International Airport. The road
to the capital city has a backdrop of snowy-white mountains.
Tehran, located in the north, experiences sub-zero temperatures in winter.
This rapidly-developing capital city is a site of constant construction of
modern buildings and congested roads.
Tourists can choose to shop at malls or the bazaar, which offers bargain
prices.
LIFESTYLE
Iran is an Islamic republic. Women, including tourists, are expected to wear
hijab, or at least a scarf in public places.
Nighttime activities are limited since the 1979 Iranian Revolution, also e
known as the Islamic Revolution. Nightclubs and bars are banned. Locals prefer
to spend their evenings at recreational parks or eateries.
Tehran locals also enjoy outings in the mountains, especially on weekends.
They find the fresh air of the highlands a welcome change from traffic jams and
vehicle exhaust fumes, said tour guide Niloofar Ghatey.
The writer and several of his Malaysian friends enjoyed the fresh night air
of the Tochal Mountain and the beauty of the Tehran city at night.
The route to the mountain-peak was packed wit h locals and tourists hiking
up and down the summit.
Tehran has many museums and galleries showcasing the evolution of its
civilization. They cover aspects of history, archeology, culture, royalty and
even carpet-making.
The writer visited the Carpet Museum in Laleh Park, which features unique
hand-woven Persian carpets.
The extraordinary finesse in hand-weaving these carpets makes them highly
sought-after. Niloofar said Iranian carpet designs were inspired by elements
of nature and human life. Colours often symbolize the course of life as
experienced by human beings.
A popular dish in Iran is beef and chicken kebabs, served with saffron rice.
Saffron, a spice used in popular Iranian dishes, is one of the most
expensive spices in the world. Iran is one of its largest producers.
TOURISM POTENTIAL
The writer was in Tehran for the Travel Market programme organized by
Tourism Malaysia.
This visit to Tehran happened as a result of the 2011 Arabian Travel Market
in Dubai from May 2 to 5, which was visited by the Malaysian delegation, headed
by Tourism Minister, Dr Ng Yen Yen.
Accompanying the delegation was Tourism Malaysia Director-General, Azizan
Noordin.
The three-day visit to Tehran from May 7 saw Dr Ng meet Iran’s Vice
President, Hamid Baghaei, to discuss the tourism potential.
The meeting was the first of its kind and yielded positive results. Malaysia
and Iran agreed to create a special joint-committee to explore the tourism
potential in both countries.
Popular tourism hot spots in Iran are Isfahan, Shiraz and Mashhad.
Dr Ng and the Malaysian delegation also met with heads of tourism agencies
and airlines in Iran at a dinner function. Many of them expressed interest in
forging tourism-cooperation agreements with Malaysia.
A consortium of agencies from both Malaysian and Iranian tour agencies will
be established for the purpose.
A GROWING NUMBER OF IRANIAN TOURISTS
Dr Ng told Bernama that there was a 14.3 per cent increase in Iranian
visitors last year, compared with the year before (up from 101,664 tourists in
2009 to 116,252 in 2010). This year, Malaysia is expecting 130,000 Iranian
tourists.
She said Tourism Malaysia would increase promotional efforts in Iran by
highlighting Malaysian tourism products such as island holidays, beautiful
parks, shopping complexes and the international shoe festival.
"I notice that in Iran, women play an important role in deciding the
destinations for tourism. So we’ll promote Malaysia accordingly," she said.
Dr Ng said they would prepare a variety of tourism packages for Iranian
citizens aged 55 and above. These could be jointly implemented with Iran’s major
companies taking their employees on trips.
FLOWER GARDENS AND THEME PARKS
Iranians are keenly interest in flower gardens and theme parks, and enjoy
night-time activities like the night safari at the Melaka Zoo and boating at the
Melaka River.
Dr Ng said the Iranian government is also considering a higher frequency of
flights between both countries, especially from the regions of Tehran, Isfahan,
Shiraz and Mashhad, to Kuala Lumpur.
Currently, Iran Air flies four times a week from Tehran to Kuala Lumpur.
Low-cost carrier AirAsia flies three times a week from Tehran, while Mahan Air
flies twice a week from Shiraz.
