The reason that the IRI doesn't receive anywhere near as many tourists as, say Turkey, is not because of sanctions. It's because vacationing in an Islamic Republic isn't much fun for many Westerners (or some Easterners, for that matter). Iran's tourism potential will never be even remotely reached as long as it is a mollah-run "republic".

Very true. I for one would like to enjoy a drink while I'm on vacation, preferrably in my bathing suit on a nice beach--of which there are plenty in Iran (nice beaches), and perhaps even go out dancing at night. I guess one can go to a "rozeh" session and shed some tears for Imam Hossein insetad in Iran. :-)  

If you've been to the North in the recent years where we have the beautiful shores of the Caspian Sea, you'll realize that the regime intentionally keeps those areas as backward and undeveloped as possible. The once pristine beaches of the North are now nothing but garbage dumps - literally!

There are plenty of housing and villas developed for the relatively well-off, but there is no effort to develop this area into a tourist hub that it can be - This alone will bring jobs to the region, but again, the regime could give a rats ass.

What do you expect from the mentlaity of clergy/mullah?

Well, dear COP- as the great Imam Rouhollah Al-Mousavi Al-Khomeini once said: "tourism mal-e khar ast."

A hotel near the airport in Saaveh only serves one purpose and that is to accommodate the travelling European businessmen who want to come in, make a buck and leave.

A tourist will not stay there unless he wants to taste the pomegranates from Saaveh!