Business Notes TOURISM

Egypt has its pyramids, Rome its Colosseum. Iran has its attractions too, notably its Persian ruins, but few tourists have seen them in recent years because of turmoil within the country. Now, hungry for foreign currency to help rebuild its war-ravaged economy, Iran aims to develop a tourism industry. This year the country hopes to welcome 300,000 visitors who will bring in more than $200 million.

Among the first Western visitors were 33 Italians who paid $2,000 apiece in December for a nine-day tour of Tehran and major archaeological sites. Elda Chiaraviglio, a Turin travel agent who helped organize the group, called the visit "a leap backward into medieval Islam, but fascinating." While many Iranians remain hostile to the U.S., she noted, the American dollar was the only foreign currency that Iranian black marketeers would accept.