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Thursday, May 2, 2024 14:43 GMT
A member of Iran Hoteliers Association has expressed optimism that with progress on vaccination against COVID-19, the tourism and hotel industries in the country will once again flourish.Referring to the impact of the pandemic on the tourism sector, Seyyed Amir Nasser Tabatabaei told Iran Daily that the occupancy rate of hotels in the country during the Norouz holidays this year – March 20-April 2 – was 20%. This shows a sharp decline compared to the past years’ figures (before the pandemic), he said. Tabatabaei emphasized the need for vaccination to obtain immunity against the disease as well as to revive the tourism industry. He said that inoculating 60%-70% of the population will boost the resumption of foreign and domestic tourism in the country.Referring to the impact of the pandemic on the hotel industry in Iran, he said that despite the decline in hotel revenues, hotel owners have to pay staff salaries and maintenance and utility costs.Touching on government measures to support hotels through the COVID-19 pandemic, Tabatabaei said the loan scheme and deferral of payments for utility services such as gas, water and electricity, and tax and social security insurance are among measures implemented by the government last year.He added that the measures may be extended for the first six months of this year – which began on March 21 – with the follow-up of the Ministry of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts.The head of Yazd Hoteliers Association also said the occupancy rate of hotels in Yazd during this year’s Norouz holidays was 16.3%. This shows a sharp decline when compared to the occupancy rate during the Norouz holidays in 2019, with the rate peaking at almost 100%, he said.The member of the association said the accommodation capacity of hotels in Yazd was 11,000 beds per day during the Norouz holidays, while 165,000 beds in hotels were allocated for Norouz travelers. To show appreciation for the medical staff who have contributed to the treatment of COVID-19 disease, several hotels of the Mostazafan (Underprivileged) Foundation – a charitable foundation – were allocated for the staff across the country during this spring, he said.Iran entered its fourth wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in mid-April and reached a four-month high in terms of the number of daily cases. The fourth wave rapidly progressed from mid-western parts of the country to mid-eastern cities. The country continues to keep restrictions in place to avoid a larger outbreak of cases. Iranian authorities have imposed some of the toughest restrictions on travel and gatherings in the country to prevent a fresh surge in coronavirus cases and deaths. To meet the cleanliness standards and hygiene protocols, the member of Iran Hoteliers Association gave assurance that hotels across the country have enacted strict regulations, adding, “Therefore, no cases of infection have been reported among the hotel staff and guests.” - Iran Daily