Demirchilou: Regional military tensions seriously impact tourism sector

The military tensions in the Middle East region have had a serious negative impact on the tourism sector, Iran's Ambassador to Azerbaijan Mojtaba Demirchilou said in a statement to Report in Shusha.

According to him, 149 historical monuments were damaged in Iran during the war, and five museums suffered serious harm: "Some heritage sites registered at the UNESCO level have also been damaged."

The ambassador noted that security and stability are the main prerequisites for tourism: "After the war started, flights stopped, and tourists began to avoid travel. During the Novruz holiday period, tourist flow across the region decreased by approximately 50%."

Demirchilou stated that there are no specific statistics regarding the extent of financial damage to his country's tourism sector: "There are some historical monuments whose value cannot be measured. Places such as the Golestan Palace in Tehran, which is over 250 years old, have been damaged. The restoration of such monuments is sometimes impossible and requires many years. Overall, approximately $270 billion of damage has been inflicted on Iran's economy as a result of military operations."