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Marriott eyes lucrative Iranian hotel market

IRAN, December 8, 2016

Hospitality giant Marriott International has joined a long list of global hotel groups looking to gain a foothold in Iran, said a report.

The group has expressed its keenness to enter Iran, which it considers as a substantial market in terms of demand, following the pending removal of legal barriers, said a report in Iran Daily.

"Depending on what happens in the future and what agreements are reached between the United States and Iran, if the doors open legally to do business in Iran, we would be very keen to pursue that opportunity," said Alex Kyriakidis, president and managing director of Marriott's Middle East and Africa division.

The government has made tourism a top priority for rebuilding Iran's economy and hopes to attract 20 million visitors a year by 2025.

Abu Dhabi-based-Rotana Hotel Management Corp, Spain's Melia Hotels International and Germany's Steigenberger Hotel Group have also entered Iran's market.

Rotana has two hotels in the pipeline in the next two years while Melia is planning to open a 319-room hotel in 2017.

Iran plans to build 300 new hotels over the next five years. According to Akhoundi, projects are underway to build some 170 four- and five-star hotels, the report said.

Foreign companies are specially seeking to tap Iran's huge religious tourism market in Mashhad and Qom which attract about 25 million pilgrims a year.
 




Tags: Iran | hotels | Marriott |

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