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Tourism officials in Iran have announced that visas to visit the country can now be obtained via the internet.

Mohammad-Sharif Malekzadeh, deputy of the Iran Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism Organisation (ICHHTO), told the IRNA news agency that people from any country in the world would be able to gain a visa online.

A new website has been set up where tourists can be given a visa, with Mr Malekzadeh saying the scheme was the idea of president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

Iran recently opened its nuclear power stations to tourists and visits to the sites have become part of the country's programme to attract tourists.

In addition, figures from the ICHHTO show that visitor numbers have increased during the first two quarters of the Iranian year (started on 20 March 2006) compared to the same period last year.

The ICHHTO has also announced that it is offering financial incentives to travel agents in the country to attract visitors from Asia, Europe and the US.

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