France’s Accor Hotels is set to be the first international hotel group to operate in Iran. The firm has announced the opening of two hotels in Tehran.

The French group said in a statement on 14 September that it will open an Ibis hotel and a Novotel branch near the capital’s international airport.

The contracts will be signed next week with representatives of an Iranian company, Aria Ziggurat, which owns the buildings.

The hotels are scheduled to open on 15 October, with a total of 500 rooms.

The move comes just two months after the signing of the historic nuclear deal between Washington and Tehran.

As Iran prepares for the lifting of sanctions, tourism is expected to be an important sector. Growth in tourism, along with increased traction in business activities, is expected to be among the major drivers for travel over the short-to-medium term. The country is aiming for 20 million tourists a year by 2025, up from current levels of about 5 million, according to the Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts Organisation of Iran.