February 28, 2020
Iran is the country where tourists get the most bang for their bucks, according to a new report from the World Economic Forum in Davos. Switzerland.
The reports ranks 140 countries on 19 different aspects of tourism.
Iran was ranked Number One in terms of “price competitiveness,” because foreign currencies go so far, now that the rial has virtually collapsed.
Following Iran in terms of price competitiveness are Brunei, Egypt, Kazakhstan and Malaysia.
The most expensive place to visit is Britain.
Unfortunately, Iran does not rank anywhere near so high in aspects other than price. Of the 140 countries ranked, Iran came in 74th in terms of security, 89th for health and hygiene, and 108th when it comes to tourist service infrastructure. Overall, it was ranked 89th of the 140 countries judged, or near the top of the bottom half.
Infrastructure is the point that many in Iran’s tourist industry point to when they assess the government’s announced plans to make Iran a major tourist destination. They say Iran is simply not equipped with enough hotel space, enough quality restaurants and enough people with foreign language skills to cope with the volumes of tourists the government says it is seeking to draw.