Norouz Visits to Mashhad Expected to Fall
According to Majid Forqani, secretary of Mashhad Travel Agencies Guild Association, more than 80 percent of flights to and from Mashhad have been cancelled amid concerns over the novel coronavirus epidemic.
He said almost all planned trips to the holy city are also predicted to be called off due to fears about the disease.
The novel coronavirus, known as COVID-19, has infected more than 80,000 people around the world, including over 77,000 in China. More than 2,600 people have died in China’s central Hubei province alone.
The outbreak has had a major impact on global sporting, cultural, religious and political events, with a host of events canceled or postponed.
Mashhad is home to the shrine of Imam Reza (AS), the 8th Shia Imam. It is one of the most extensively visited pilgrimage centers in the world.
Tens of millions of pilgrims from all over Iran as well as other countries visit the holy city every year, especially during Norouz holidays (March 20- April 2 this year).
