Destinia opens shop in Iran

Destinia, the international online travel agency with offices in Dubai, Egypt and Spain, has expanded its presence in the Middle East with its entrance into Iran. The new office opened in summer 2015 and serves as Destinia’s third Middle Eastern hub.

'Our objective is to be one of the top three Arabic online travel agencies in the region by 2017,' says Amuda Goueli, CEO of Destinia. 'Last year, sales from the Middle East and Africa region grew by 140 per cent and the entrance into the Iranian market is part of a larger strategic expansion by the agency.

'Iran is a large market with a huge potential for growth as one of the largest economies in the Middle East and we have already seen great success in the region with hopes for continued expansion in the upcoming years.'

According to World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC), domestic travel spend will increase by 6.8 per cent in Iran this year and is set to double by 2025.

Destinia has launched its website in Persian: Destinia.ir, and developed and implemented a local payment system: Shaparak. 'The payment method was, without a doubt, the most complex part. Keep in mind that in Iran, citizens do not have conventional credit cards as in Western markets, such as VISA or MasterCard. In addition, local banks work with the Islamic calendar, which is another complication for our systems,' explains Goueli. The landing process in the country has been slow and involves the fulfilment of an endless number of legal restrictions.

Research by Destinia has also revealed that the UAE is one of top destinations for Iranian travellers attracted by factors such as its shopping, sightseeing, culture, gourmet experiences and nightlife. Other popular destinations were revealed to be Turkey, Thailand, China and Russia.

Local authorities have announced new measures to be implemented in order to facilitate the entrance of foreign tourists to the country, reducing or even eliminating visa requirements for some nationalities.