Many people outside of Iran tell me that they want to travel to Iran. They say, “We want to go see Iran. We’ve heard that Iranians make delicious food.” Most of them also say that, in addition to the food and desserts, they want to go and see the tourist attractions in Iran. They say with excitement, “We want to go to the place where the desert meets the sea. Where is that?” I tell them it’s the “Darak” beach in Sistan and Baluchestan. They say, “We want to go to Persepolis and Takht-e Jamshid. What are the conditions for traveling to Iran?” In short, when I am at a party or with a group where people realize I am Iranian, they ask me these kinds of questions. They also ask me if it is safe to go to Iran, if there will be any problems, and if they can bring their children. I am happy to hear their interest

But we all know that Iranians are famous for their hospitality and warmth. When talking about Iranians, one of the first things that is likely to be mentioned is their warmth and hospitality. However, the bitter and painful truth is that in recent years, this hospitality and warmth has somewhat disappeared from Iranian society. The absence of Iranian hospitality and warmth has been due to poverty and cultural deprivation that has been forced upon them.

Many foreign tourists travel to Iran without a tour and either personally or by bicycle. They ride and pass through different countries to reach Iran and after a few days of staying in this country, they go to another point in the world. But in some cases, we witness the bitter experiences of foreign tourists. There are many tourists around the world who, through their adventurous travels, have many followers from different parts of the world on their social networks. These tourists write about their experiences and daily travel on their pages and publish videos. The latest example is a foreign tourist who traveled to Iran by bicycle last year and his trip was accompanied by special incidents. A German female tourist who had passed through different countries by bicycle to reach Iran, while writing about the companionship and kindness of some Iranian people on the road and in the villages for her followers on Instagram, explained that for example, a watermelon seller, when he found out she was a tourist, did not take money from her or a truck driver helped

The story goes back to 1398 (2019-2020) when a German tourist on a bicycle enters Iran and on the first days of his trip, he experiences a bitter incident. He is attacked and beaten by several people in one of the northern cities and his belongings are stolen. This German tourist, who had recently recovered from cancer and decided to travel the world, is severely injured in the attack, with a broken jaw and teeth. The release of his pictures after the attack quickly caught the attention of many users on social media. The cyclist had written on his Instagram page with pictures after the assault: “The surgery that was performed on me requires at least a month for recovery.” He had also emphasized that “four months have passed since the day I intended to travel to Iran and this incident will not change anything inside me. I will not let this extraordinary time I had with amazing people be overshadowed by the harassment of a few young criminals. My amazing experience with Iranian culture will

These were just two examples of incidents that have received more attention than other events in recent years, but they have caused the hospitality of the Iranian people to be questioned in foreign media; meaning that if foreign tourism does not consider the country’s political system important, does not have a problem with mandatory hijab, etc., and only wants to experience the hospitality and warmth of the Iranian people and travel to this country, these incidents will cause this group of tourists to regret or hesitate to travel to Iran.

Despite the fact that many Iranians expressed regret and apologized for the unfortunate incidents towards foreign tourists on social media and even on the pages of these tourists, and mocked those who behaved inappropriately towards them, international media had published news about this issue and these videos and accounts still received a lot of views on social media. These incidents, along with news of the arrest of foreign tourists in Iran and other political news, are not very pleasant for foreign tourists who usually consider all conditions before traveling to a destination and want everything to be provided for them in peace and security.

Certainly, such behaviors towards foreign tourists do not represent a complete picture of the Iranian people, and the majority’s behavior towards foreign tourists is accompanied by kindness and hospitality. However, these few examples lead to a negative portrayal of the Iranian people in international news. Let’s put aside the political and economic news of Iran, which are not the focus of this report. But the reason for these unpleasant incidents is a clash with the government, and there is no escape from politics; because in Iran, everything is intertwined with the behavior and policies of the government.

It is true that violence or theft are complex phenomena and, in addition to economic conditions, cultural and social factors also play a role in their occurrence. However, economic, social, and security policies implemented by the government and its affiliated institutions have a significant impact on reducing or increasing them. For example, in difficult economic conditions, some individuals resort to theft for survival and to meet the financial needs of themselves and their families. In such circumstances, we witness an increase in home, car, and shop thefts, as well as phenomena such as pickpocketing and mugging, and tourists may also become victims. It should also be noted that in difficult economic conditions, dissatisfaction and psychological and social pressures increase, which leads to an increase in violent crimes such as theft using physical violence or armed robbery. Along with all these issues, the increase in psychological and emotional pressures in society due to high prices and inflation also leads to an increase in violence and conflicts. Additionally, the financial needs of Iranians have

Furthermore, cultural, social, and economic policies of governance have a significant impact on shaping the cultural approaches and human behavior of citizens towards each other. Gender segregation from childhood, unawareness of both genders towards each other, and lack of recognition of sexual harassment have led to women in Iran – both tourists and citizens – facing a daily amount of verbal and non-verbal sexual harassment on the streets, workplace, and other places.

At the end, we must once again address the fact that Iranians are inherently hospitable and warm, but the impact of cultural and economic poverty imposed by the government, in which the people have had no involvement, has led to some unpleasant incidents for foreign tourists. How many times have I heard that in the absence of public toilets in a city or village – which also reflects the government’s negligence and lack of a cohesive plan to attract tourists – the people of that region have allowed foreign tourists to use their homes or shops as toilets.

But the fundamental issue in this matter is sovereignty, not the people. The people are not to blame. The sovereignty that forces its policies on all aspects of citizens’ lives from childhood to adulthood is the main culprit. The education system and government policies that do not teach children proper behavior towards the opposite gender from childhood, or the weak and unstable economy that has no plans to create economic and job opportunities for young people, are the main causes of these events. Reviewing the judicial and educational system and promoting awareness about such problems can be a solution, not just slogans and promises on paper.