Now that the U.S. government has completed a nuclear treaty with Iran, many Americans are evolving their attitudes towards Iran. There is still plenty of thawing of icy relations needed and a September yay-or-nay vote by Congress looms with much political rhetoric to overcome.
That said, to many Americans, Iran seems viable for the first time as a tourist destination.
Rita Zawaideh, the owner of Caravan Serai Tours, told me recently that since the nuclear treaty was signed her company is getting many more calls about travel to Iran. The company has been offering travel to Iran for 15 years. Over the years her travel business to Iran has gone up and down in waves.
Most years the company would send a few small groups of about 5-15 people. But now suddenly there is much more interest.
"Now I am finding that we are getting calls daily," said Zawaideh. "For some reason people were always a bit scared to go, but they think it is safer now. But honestly, it is the same as it has been for years. It has always been safe."
Whether or not it has suddenly become safer because of new diplomatic breakthroughs between the respective governments, it is fairly clear that a new wave of tourism to Iran is beginning.
Since the lifting of some of the sanctions on Iran and a new warming of relationships between Iran and the West, hotel companies are moving forward with plans to expand their presence in Iran. Foreign offices of European countries are lifting their travel warnings on Iran.
Emirates just opened its second gateway in Iran, Mashdad, anticipating a new wave of travel to the country. Starting in September Emirates will offer five weekly flights to Iran's second largest city.
The Iranian government is taking steps to relax visa entry rules to make it easier for westerners to visit. Though many of the U.S. sanctions remain in place, the tourism industry is set to grow.
The Guardian reported that Iran's vice-president for tourism, Masoud Soltanifar, is expecting "bright days" for the country's tourism industry and the government recently extended the length of tourist visas from 15 days to one month, with plans on the horizon to offer electronically issued visas.
But it is just the beginning and it will take time.
There is much scrutiny ahead for the Iran-U.S. treaty and still much scepticism from Americans about the Iranian government's true intentions. And from a pure infrastructure perspective, although Zawaideh is an enthusiastic promoter of travel to Iran, she says it will be a while before it is really a mass tourism destination for Americans.
"Iran is not ready for the influx of American travelers yet," said Zawaideh. "It will take a couple of years to build the hotels and train the guides. People who want to go will have to plan way in advance, nothing last minute or bookings in a month. It will need three or six months advance booking."
There are still many things to consider in planning to go to Iran. There are clothing restrictions to pay attention to, head coverings for women. You need to learn about the rules of the society.
But things are changing within the society. Younger women are wearing jeans below their dresses, pushing the limits. The restrictions are relaxing. The society is evolving. The women are freeing themselves as they are here in America in different ways.
Travel to Iran for Americans is just beginning. It's a large, old country with a tremendous amount of historical and cultural depth. Before 1935, most of what is now called Iran was known as Persia, for the Persian Kingdom that was a large part of it.
Susan Emadi, a business consultant based in Denver and an Iranian by birth, told me that Americans traveling to Iran should travel with an Iranian to get the most out of the country. For most Americans, who may not have an Iranian friend available to make the trip with them, that means traveling with a tour operator with local contacts and a tourism infrastructure.
Most visitors will want to see Tehran, and most visitors will arrive in Tehran as the international gateway, but, Emadi said, to really see Iran it's important to get beyond Tehran.
"Tehran is so crowded," said Emadi. "It's a business place, a big cosmopolitan city. Any time I am there it's like being in the U.S. or Europe. If you really want to see the beauty of Iran you have to get beyond Tehran."
Emadi recommends Shiraz and Isfahan as the best two cities for Westerners who want to explore Iran's 5,000-year history.
What's there for westerners to experience? According to Emadi, the top four areas for exploration are architecture, art, culture and food, in that order.
"The best way to travel is with someone from Iran," said Emadi. "Then you can find all the good places."
And on that point, Rita Zawaideh would vigorously agree.
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