The Internet has afforded us all a great opportunity to explore and learn about the world without ever leaving our comfortable homes. Social media have allowed us to connect with people in far-away countries that we otherwise would have never had a chance to meet.
Recently, I had a chance to connect with someone via Facebook who is located thousands of kilometres away from me, in a country that I may never have a chance to visit. Mohammad Reza Gohari, who prefers to go by the name of Reza, is located in the Iranian city of Rouyan and is an expert on tourism management, a subject that he also teaches at university. After realizing that we are both passionately interested in travel and tourism, we started talking and I had to admit that I knew next to nothing about Iran. The it dawned on me that this new personal connection was a golden opportunity to learn more about this mysterious and ancient Middle Eastern country.
Reza was kind enough to agree to an interview, and in the following article you will read his insights about his home country, Iran.
1. Please tell us about yourself, where were you born, where did you grow up, where do you live now and what did you study?
I was born and grew up in Tehran. After finishing high school, I moved to Rouyan to continue my studies at Maziar University in the field of tourism management, from where I graduated with a bachelor degree. Now I am still living in Rouyan, a city in Mazandaran province in the north of Iran.
2. What is your experience in the tourism industry and what part of tourism interests you the most and why?
Now I am working in the tourism field as a writer, translator and researcher. I have taught courses in a subject called “Impacts of Tourism and Tour Planning and Management” as an assistant professor at Maziar University for two semesters (2010-2011). Currently I am working on two books, one of them is about the Impact of Tourism and the other is about the Anthropology of Tourism. I hope to be able to publish them soon. I really like tourism as a field of study and research, especially the topics of sustainability, planning, and impacts of tourism. Presently I prefer to work in the theoretical aspects of tourism, after gaining some practical experience as a tour manager and planner for student travels and working in a travel agency as a trainee.
I found out that our major problem in Iran’s tourism industry is the lack of sufficient knowledge and education among our leaders and officials, and even our graduates of tourism and hotel management. The tourism and hotel management programs at the universities in Iran are very new and have only existed for about 12 years or so. As a result, there are some weaknesses in the theoretical understanding of tourism. Sources that professors in universities use to teach students are often outdated while people working in tourism essentially only learn from practical experience and have very little theoretical knowledge of tourism.
For these reasons I decided to invest more time into learning and researching the theoretical aspects of tourism. I should say that two of my best professors, Mr. Jaber Parsaie and Mr. Amir Hashemi Moghaddam really helped me with their guidance and the opportunities gave me, something I appreciate a lot. My goal is to look at tourism as a science and to do some work that will help students and tourism practitioners gain better knowledge and to bring about better economic, social and environmental results in the tourism industry. I am particularly interested in sustainable tourism.
Given a greater investment in training and infrastructure, Iran should become an important tourism provider due to its beautiful natural resources, its impressive history and ancient culture.
3. Please give us a brief overview of Iran, its history, geography and main sights.
Iran is the 18th largest country in the world in terms of area at 1,648,195 km2 (636,373sq mi) and has a population of around 78 million. It is a country of particular geostrategic significance due to its location in the Middle East and central Eurasia. Iran is bordered on the north by Armenia, Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan. As Iran has a coastline on the Caspian Sea, an inland sea; Kazakhstan and Russia are also Iran’s direct neighbours to the north. Iran is bordered on the east by Afghanistan and Pakistan, on the south by the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman, on the west by Iraq and on the northwest by Turkey. Tehran is the capital, the country’s largest city and the political, cultural, commercial and industrial center of the nation.
Iran, formerly known as Persia, has a long history. One of the world’s first, largest and most powerful empires was located here – the Achaemenid Empire (ca. 550–330 BC)). There are a lot of monuments from that period of history now, for example: Pasargadae, Persepolis, and others that are very attractive to foreign tourists and must-see destinations in Iran.
There are even some places that are older than Persepolis or Pasargadae, places like Shahr-e Sukhteh (3200 BC) or Tepe Sialk (5500-6000 BC) which prove that Iran has one of the oldest civilizations in the world’s history. Usually when historians talk about Iran, they divide Iran’s history into two parts, the first part prior to the introduction of Islam and the second part after Islam. Iran either has Islamic monuments (from 669 AD on) like mosques, buildings, tombs etc. while monuments from ancient times can be found at places such as Bisotun or Persepolis. Whether of pre- or post-Islamic origin, art has always played an important role in Iran.
Iran is divided into 31 provinces or states and each of these provinces have many attractive places to visit. Some provinces like Shiraz, Western Azerbaijan, Eastern Azerbaijan, Esfahan, Khuzestan, Kerman, or Kermanshah are more famous and have many tourist attractions. Other important tourist destinations include Shahr-e Sukhteh that I mentioned before located in Sistan and Baluchestan province. Thirteen places and monuments of Iran are included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. These are amongst the most famous and popular attractions in Iran but there are many places that there are not on this list:
1-Armenian Monastic Ensemble of Iran
2- Bam and its Cultural Landscape
3- Bisotun
4- Meidan Emam, Esfahan
5- Pasargadae
6- Persepolis
7- Sheikh Safi al-din Khanegah and Shrine Ensemble in Ardabil
8- Shustar Historical Hydraulic System
9- Soltaniyeh
10- Tabriz Historic Bazaar Complex
11- Takht-e Soleyman
12- Tchogha Zanbil
13- The Persian Garden
4. Our audience would also like to know about the climate and weather of Iran.
Iran is a country with four distinct seasons. Iran’s climate in most of the regions (specifically in the central and east regions of country) is arid and semi-arid. The climate in the coastal regions in the north is wet and moderate and the western and north-western regions are mountainous and even cold during autumn and winter. The geographic location of Iran is almost unique, with one flight you can take off your sweater and wear your T-shirt, and move from a cold region to a hot one and vice versa.
5. You have travelled extensively through Iran. What places have you seen and what are your favourite travel memories?
Iran is a big country with many destinations to visit, and if you want to visit all the regions of this country carefully you will probably need at least a whole year. So unfortunately I have not been able to visit all of Iran yet, but I had a chance to visit almost all the famous places and provinces in Iran, for example: Shiraz, Isfahan, Kerman, Khuzestan, East Azerbaijan, South Khorasan, Razavi Khorasan, and North Khorasan and etc. I tried to visit all the famous places and monuments in these regions but every time I came back home, I found out that many places remained unseen.
Two years ago, my friends and I went to Kashan (a city in Isfahan province) for 3 days. Before going there we thought that we would be able to visit all the places in Kashan in 2 days because it is a small city. We ended up going to the Maranjab desert and visited the historical buildings and monuments in the city and went to Abyaneh village (one of the most famous villages in Iran that has a unique architectural style and traditional culture and lifestyle) and some other places like Nooshabad, an underground city, with a history dating back to the pre-Islamic era more than 1500 years ago. When we had to come back we realized that we had only visited about half of the attractions of this small region.
6. Many travellers are worried about the political situation in Iran. Please tell us about the current political and social situation.
I think that because of some bad publicity by foreign media and governments about Iran, people who want to travel to Iran have become worried and I understand that. Now there is struggle between Iran’s government and some foreign governments about Iran’s nuclear activity (Iran stresses that our activity is completely peaceful but the foreign governments do not believe that), so you may watch or read some news about this problem that may affect you. Two years ago people in Iran protested against the government because they believed that the government has changed the results of the election; this event is likely another negative point that could worry many tourists. All of us know that a stable political situation is so vital for growing tourism in a region or country and if you have an unstable political situation or people even guess that there is political instability in a country, it definitely can have a huge impact on the tourists’ decision whether or not to travel there and we cannot deny this fact. I hope that the government will advertise in different media and let people know about Iran’s tourism potential so the country’s image can be improved.
7. Please comment on the role of religion in Iranian society and the situation of women.
The formal religion of Iran is Islam and most people who live in Iran are Muslim, but there are people with other religions and beliefs like Christians, Jews, Zoroastrians and others. All of them respect other religions. I know that you are interested in culture, so you know well that religions can form and affect people’s culture, and have an important impact on people’s behaviors, their contacts and encounters, or even their decisions. Like any religion, Islam too has its own rules and codes of ethics that every believer should try to respect and follow. Unfortunately some people have a negative view of Islam and think that it is a harsh religion, because of bad and painful news that we watch on TV that may deal with terrorism and murders that may occur in some Islamic communities like Afghanistan, Iraq and others.
I want to say that in Iran we do not have these extremist actions and the real Islam invites people to be kind with each other, to like other people and respect them and to help each other. Islam never says that you should kill people or hurt them. Unfortunately the bad actions of some affect the image of all Muslims. As I mentioned before, every religion has its own rules and codes of ethics, in Islam and in an Islamic community women can work outside the home and participate in social activities but they should wear a Hijab when they go out or to a place where there are strangers present. Except for the Hijab, there are no limitations for women and if they want and the norms of society let them, they can do any thing that a man can do.
8. Please tell us more about the tourism infrastructure in Iran, what about hotels, restaurants, resorts, attractions, adventure travel companies and other tourism service providers?
We have a lot of resources, but we often do not know how to use them. This refers back to our weakness in tourism management, planning and lack of knowledge which I mentioned in the first question. In Iran we have a well-developed basic tourism infrastructure, like modern hotels, active travel agencies, good restaurants with international foods and etc, but we need more companies that attract tourists with special interests. We have good natural resources for adventure travel (mountains, forests, deserts, rivers), but need more companies that are able to service tourists in these fields. Recently people are paying more attention to these forms of tourism.
9. Please tell us about safety precautions that one should follow when travelling in Iran.
Safety is very vital and a basic requirement for growing tourism in a region. Iran’s perception is often influenced by painful news from other Islamic countries in the region.
I suggest that tourists who want to visit Iran for the first time should consult with reputable and experienced travel agencies, and check the attractions that they want to take you to make sure that you visit everything you wanted to. Travelling is best done with a qualified and trustworthy local guide. You can search on the Internet and find attractive places and attractions that you are looking for, and during your visit, especially in traditional regions or in holy places like mosques, observe formality and respect local culture and traditions. The best thing is to prepare yourself by reading a little about Iranian culture as there are many resources on the Internet.
Ask a local to write down the police’s number, your hotel address and phone for you in the event of an emergency situation or if you get lost. With this information on hand, you can find your way back to your hotel easily, especially in crowded places like bazaars, in shopping centers or downtown areas where you may lose your guide.
10. What about female travellers in Iran? Is it possible to travel solo as a women? What special advice do you have for female travellers?
Female travelers can travel by themselves in Iran, but there are some restrictions for them that I think can be among the unique attractions of visiting Iran, for example the experience of wearing a Hijab. As mentioned before, respect for local culture, traditions and beliefs of the locals is important, particularly when visiting holy places. When Iranian people see a tourist who respects their culture, they will extend the same respect back.
11. What about the language issue? How easy is it to communicate with the locals?
The native and most important language in Iran is Persian (Farsi). Nowadays especially young people in Iran know some English, because they learn English at school. At university in almost all majors, students study the English language. I think that with a bilingual dictionary (English-Persian, French-Persian) you can easily communicate with people. You can also use phrase books to cover your basic needs.
12. How do Iranians generally perceive foreigners, and in particular western foreigners?
One of the traits of Iranian people that is very famous is that they are very hospitable and friendly with their guests and love their guests. There is even a proverb that says: مهمان حبیب خداست, which means that a guest is a friend of God, and a friend of God is a friend of us. All of us like people of other religions, other viewpoints and other races and respect them. In Iran there are many different people with various languages, traditions, religions and etc, all of whom are living in peace together. Persians naturally like foreign people, specifically western foreigners. I frequently see people who request to have a photo taken with a foreign tourist when they meet them in a place like a museum or other historical sites.
13. Please give us an overview of local transportation options inside Iran. How easy is it to drive in Iran?
Because of the vastness of Iran, people who want to travel between different parts of the country often travel by plane. Inter-provincial transportation happens mostly by air while inside of a province people may take buses or vans. In cities you can take taxis and Tehran has a metro system. There are also some car rental agencies in Iran, but it may be easier to rent a car with a driver for about the same amount.
14. What about the currency of Iran? Can travellers use credit cards or what forms of payment are accepted?
The Rial is the currency of Iran. Unfortunately, you cannot use international credit cards like Visa or Mastercard in Iran, but you can buy credit cards from banks in Iran that you can in Iran. Some hotels, restaurants and shops accept and take foreign currencies like dollars, euros, and pounds, but I suggest that you provide obtain from reliable currency exchange.
15. What are the conventions on tipping and bargaining in Iran?
Usually, local residents in Iran pay a little money to workers or servants in restaurants and hotels but it is rare that a servant wants a tip directly. If you do not want to pay tip and a worker asks you, you can report to his or her boss. In terms of bargaining, I suggest when you want to buy handicrafts, clothes or something like that, bargain with the shopkeeper and ask him to offer you a discount; that is also the convention among the locals.
16. Please give us an overview of the culture and traditions of Iran. What about festivals?
Iranian culture, like many cultures of the developing countries, is composed of tradition and modernity. People live and work almost like people in other countries, use modern facilities, but most people have their traditional thoughts and ideas. Iranians have their traditional customs and conventions for almost everything which includes marriage, Nowruz (Persian New Year), even for saying hello (younger people should say hello first to people that are older than they), respect for elders etc. Iranian culture is unique, and nowadays, young people show a lot of interest in the country’s ancient history and culture.
I want to divide the special events of Iran into two groups, first the events that the people of the whole country celebrate or mourn, first and foremost being Nowruz (first day of spring) during which all Persian people celebrate the new year and visit their family and relations. One of the other special events that all Persian people mourn is Moharram (Ashoura va Tasoua,) which is a religious event. I should note that although all Persian people at these events celebrate or mourn, some provinces have their own traditions and costumes for celebrating or mourning.
The second group consists of events that some provinces or regions celebrate in terms of their traditions and cultures. For example in some regions the farmers celebrate their harvest, while Zoroastrians have their own unique festivals. Zoroastrianism is a much older religion than Islam.
17. Our readers are interested in cultural and arts-related travel opportunities in Iran. Please comment about museums, music, dance and visual arts performances.
I think that Iran is famous for its cultural, historical and art-related travel opportunities. As I said before, art manifests itself in every monument, whether it is old or new. In Iran there are art museums, galleries and historical museums and some of them pertain to a special subject, for example: carpet museums, glass and clay museums, national jewels museums and etc. Almost every city and every monument and historical place in Iran has its own museums, but the most important museum in Iran with the oldest and most valuable objects is the National Museum of Iran. Iranian love music, especially their traditional music, and almost every region in Iran has its own traditional music with its own instruments, for example: Azari traditional music in Azerbaijan, Khorasani traditional music in Khorasan, Bandari traditional music in Boushehr and Bandar-e Abbas, Torkman traditional music in Golestan, Mazandarani traditional music in Mazandaran and so on. All of these regions have their own traditional dances as well.
Iran has a unique visual art performance called Ta’zie which is a historical and religious art that is about the battle of Imam Hussein (the third imam of Shia) and Yazid that Imam Hussein killed in it. People perform Ta’zie during the Arabian month of Moharram, the same month during which this battle occured. Ta’zie is a kind of theatre where actors while acting and performing their roles sing with a heroic tone.
18. What about active travel: skiing, golf, bicycling, hiking / trekking, kayaking etc.?
As I mentioned before, unfortunately in Iran tour planners and tour operators have not paid enough attention to this kinds of tourism. They concentrate more on cultural and historical tourism, but recently they are starting to prepare an infrastructure and services for attracting tourists who have special interests. There are actually several ski resorts close to Tehran at places like Dizin, Darbandsar, and Tochal. Shemshak even holds local and international ski competitions.
19. Our audience is interested in the unique culinary traditions of Iran. Since you don’t drink alcohol, what types of drinks are typically served? What about the availability of international foods?
You are right, Muslims do not drink alcohol because or eat pork. Traditional Iranian food is based on fragrant rice, flat bread (nan), different types of kababs (grilled meat skewers), stews and soups. The traditional Iranian drink is Doogh which is very popular and made with yoghurt, water and vegetable flavours like basil and mint. There are many different kinds of beverages in shops and restaurants, from international brands like Coca-Cola and Pepsi to beer with 0% alcohol) and etc. As far as international food is concerned, you can find places that sell pizza, hamburgers, pasta and other international foods everywhere. In some big cities there are Chinese, Italian, or Indian restaurants. I guarantee that those who try the Persian food will love it.
20. What is the best time of year to visit Iran?
Iran in spring is so beautiful; the weather is moderate and delightful, the trees are green and the flowers are blooming. I suggest that if you want to visit Shiraz or Isfahan or the central and west regions of Iran, travel to Iran in spring. We are waiting for you and ready to welcome you.
Thank you, Reza, for taking the time to tell us about your home country – Iran. We wish you all the best for your work in tourism management and your new career as an author.
Vank Cathedral - Isfahan
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