Again we are hearing talk the that U.S. will unilaterally pull out of the Iran nuclear agreement. With Rex Tillerson gone as secretary of state and war hawk John Bolton being a possible choice as Security Adviser the stars look lined up to punish Iran for things that are not in the treaty.
People like Bolton, who apparently did everything possible (and succeeded) to avoid combat in Viet Nam (“The war was lost anyway”) seem to have no qualms about sending other people’s children into combat situations.
So, crazy as it sound, the United States sounds prepared to pull out of a treaty signed my many of our European allies on the basis that things not mentioned in the treaty are not being adhered.
The fact that the Europeans do not seem ready to go along with this dangerous policy may reduce any negative affects of this illogical policy.
In the worst case scenario, how will this affect tourism to Iran by Americans? Iran remains one of the safest places for Americans to visit and would be voted 1 of the top countries anywhere in the world if popularity of visiting Americans was measured as a standard.
A lot depends on whether Iran will play cut it’s nose to spite its face and start to reject American tourist applications. I am not sure this going to happen but it is possible.
Strangely enough, among the tourists we are now sending to Iran there have been several women who have ventured on their own in 1-woman trips accompanied by a guide.
One such woman recently returned from an extensive trip and we got a nice positive letter about her experience.
Please keep in mind that with Iran Luxury Travel, a custom-made 1-person or 1-couple trip will usually cost less than similar large-group trip.
Here is the message we got:
Hi Steve, in Dubai having completed 18 days and 5000 kilometers in Iran.
Everything went well. I wanted a wider look at Iran so some of the “roads less travelled” may not have been amazing, nevertheless it’s only learned after the fact. There are no areas I regret visiting.
The hotels were far better than expected. The 2 star tourist hotel was not great but it didn’t pretend to be anything else.
I’ve traveled a lot thru North Africa and the Middle East so there were great surprises along the way. The landscape and architecture was similar, nonetheless standing in Susa or Persepolis and everything they represent was special.
The guide Joseph was attentive, professional and accommodating. My schedule was ambitious and as you well know driving in Iran, especially in the cities, requires a skill with neither an equivalent English noun or verb. Perhaps terrifying is the closest. In spite of two fender benders we never missed a stop or timeline.
Joseph is passionate about his country and provided in-depth guidance. He took me to sites not in the itinerary once he understood my interest in antiquity. As he is an archeologist I was hoping for a wider perspective of important world sites, but it became clear early on that his knowledge and interest was focused solely on Iran. My only regret with Joseph was the inability to have this farther ranging discussion.
I always felt safe traveling alone. Iranians (unless driving) are the kindness people. There was
never a day when someone didn’t say welcome. A group of architecture students invited me to lunch, gratefully accepted. And yes the best ice cream ever.A good experience. Thank you for your upfront guidance. Feel free to use me as a reference, particularly if you have single female travelers who need reassurance. Please also pass along these comments to the local Iran travel agent.
Where to next?
Cheers