Today William Hague announced that the British Embassy in Tehran and the Iranian Embassy in London are scheduled to reopen for the first time since 2011. This is the latest in a series of steps demonstrating a warming in relations that started with the election of Hassan Rouhani, a reformist with a much more conciliatory tone towards the West than his predecessor, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

One of the first areas to see a boost from this warming relationship is tourism. David McGuinness (co-founder and director of Travel The Unknown and frequent visitor to Iran) said, “Our Iran bookings are up 500% on last year and we expect this trend to continue. The news of the reopening of the embassies is great and we hope that it will lead to a relaxing of the FCO advice about visiting Iran, which, contrary to popular belief, is one of the safest places you can travel.”

In terms of what Iran has to offer the tourist, McGuinness added, “Iran has a wealth of historical sites. Its history goes back well beyond the Persians, and can rightly be thought of as the Cradle of Civilisation. As well as iconic sites like Persepolis, the former Persian capital, it boasts grand cities such as Isfahan with its sublime architecture and spectacular mosques and the timeless mud-brick architecture and Zoroastrian heritage of Yazd. Iran also offers hiking possibilities from village walks to Mount Damavand at over 5,700 metres (the Middle East's highest peak). ”

ends 

Notes to the editor:

1. Travel The Unknown is a small group and tailormade tour operator with unique and off-the-beaten-path tours to Asia, the Middle East, Africa, Latin America and The Balkans.
2. Travel The Unknown has been running tours to Iran since 2012, including a classical tour, an archaeology tour and an off-the-beaten-track itinerary. Tours can also be arranged as private and tailormade tours for those who want a bespoke travel plan.

For further information please contact:

Rahul Aggarwal

Tel: 020 7183 6371

Email: info@traveltheunknown.com