Tehran City Guide
Until very recently, the best people to organize your trip to Tehran would have been the CIA. Now, thanks to a long overdue thaw in international relations, Iran is finally opening up to the West, and adventurous touris...
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Tehran City Guide
Until very recently, the best people to organize your trip to Tehran would have been the CIA. Now, thanks to a long overdue thaw in international relations, Iran is finally opening up to the West, and adventurous tourists are rushing to visit before it gets ruined … by tourists.
Certainly, the next few years present us with a unique opportunity to capture a fascinating glimpse of a country that, in many ways, has been frozen in time for the past 35 years and is about to undergo massive change.
Iran has been largely isolated and subject to economic sanctions since the 1979 Revolution shocked the world and led to the founding of the Islamic Republic of Iran, an anti-Western authoritarian theocracy. The genuine danger of the turbulent early years of the Republic, coupled with the widespread resentment against the “capitalistic West”, meant that pretty much all foreign businesses got out of Iran, including the Western hotel chains.
In 1996, the USA expanded those sanctions to impose economic sanctions on any companies, whether American or foreign, doing business with Iran, so, tourism became all but impossible.
Then, in 2006, the United Nations Security Council imposed sanctions in response to the refusal to stop enriching uranium, which Iran said it needed for nuclear power stations but which Israel felt might end up in nuclear bombs dropped on them (Israel’s suspicions were fueled by the repeated statements, by Iranian leaders, that they wanted to drop a nuclear bomb on Israel).
So, since 1979, a previously prosperous and sophisticated nation of 80 million people became increasingly isolated, impoverished and repressed by a government that felt increasingly pushed towards aggressive rhetoric.
Then, in 2015, the world was surprised when talks, which had been dragging on for years, resulted in the agreement everyone hoped for but no-one had really believed to be possible. Once again, Iran was open for business.
As you might expect, the 14 million inhabitants of Tehran, in particular, the young, are excited at what might now be possible. A fresh new energy is flowing through this, the largest city in Western Asia, stirring hopes and dreams that have laid dormant for decades.
Western businesses are just as excited. Anticipating that Iran will now become a major travel destination, the international hotel corporations have started announcing their plans to build hotel complexes throughout the country but, naturally, it will be some years before these become operational.
That is terrific news for us here at WorldEscape because it means we have a head start. In every city, we work with private owners to provide guests with private apartments and houses that are more comfortable, spacious and stylish than any corporate hotel room. In Tehran, we found no lack of enthusiastic property owners who are genuinely excited about finally being able to offer their service to guests from all over the world. They are ready to welcome you today.
If you have ever had an Iranian friend or have ever experienced Persian hospitality, you will know that they are gracious, intelligent people with a sense of professionalism and style. If you do jump on the opportunity to experience Tehran at this moment of transition, we believe that we are the company best placed to match you up with an authentic, interesting and comfortable vacation rental or vacation apartment for your stay.
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