FORCING OPENNESS:

Iran offered up to 13 years of tax holidays to hoteliers at an international tourism summit on Sunday as it seeks to boost visitor numbers and revamp its dilapidated hotels.

"All economic activities related to... tourism will enjoy 100 percent tax holidays between five to 13 years depending on the region," deputy economy minister Mohammad Khazaei told hoteliers from 18 countries who had gathered in Tehran, many from Europe.

Since the lifting of international sanctions under last year's nuclear deal, the moderate government of President Hassan Rouhani has made tourism a top priority for rebuilding Iran's struggling economy.

Visitor numbers have already boomed in recent years thanks to a partial thaw in the country's relations with the world, rising from 2.2 million annually in 2009 to 5.2 million in 2015.

By 2025, they are hoping to reach 20 million visitors a year.

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