Iran is, no doubt, a fascinating country to visit. As James Vlahos writes in this New York Times article today, being “an American in Iran” is not as scary as the Axis of Evil rhetoric might suggest. He found the people of Iran to be friendly, the history to be incredible, and the religious/political discussion civilized.
Iran has been pushing to attract more tourists from Europe and America. New tourist offices have been opened in 20 countries and travel agents are being offered cash bonuses for Western tourists. Still, Iran doesn’t exactly make it easy for tourists to come. Tourist need a host (usually a commercial outfitter) and the wait for visa can last up to several months.
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the president of Iran, wants to make Iran a truly unique destination. He announced that tourists will soon be able to visit the country’s controversial nuclear sites. It is hard to think of a more romantic getaway trip for Valentine’s day…