Ski industry prepares for post-sanctions boom

(19 Jan 2016) IRAN SKIING SOURCE: AP TELEVISION RESTRICTIONS: MIDDLE EAST EXTRA CLIENTS ONLY LENGTH: 3:38 SHOTLIST AP Television - No Access BBC Persian / No Access VOA Persian / No Access Manoto TV Dizin Ski Resort – 15 January 2016 1. Various of skiers on alpines sliding down slope and kicking up snow 2. Mid of alpine skiers sliding downhill 3. Wide moving shot of Dizin ski resort 4. High-angle of skiers 5. Mid of man snowboarding 6. Mid of skiers getting ready 7. Close-up of boots being fixed in skis 8. Tracking shot of skiers sliding forward 9. Mid of foreign tourist joining line for ski lift 10. SOUNDBITE (English) Uwe Schroeder, businessman and skier from Germany: "In reality it is quite easy to get around and do the things that you want to do as a tourist. But once the sanctions are gone, people will find it a lot easier in their minds to come to Iran." 11. Close-up of Uwe and his friend from the Netherlands 12. Mid of foreign skiers at Dizin 13. SOUNDBITE (English) Job Rietkerk, businessman and skier from the Netherlands: "We are building up a business and we thought we would take a long weekend so we can also enjoy the skiing in Iran." 14. Rietkerk skiing downhill 15. Various of alpine skiers jumping over hill 16. Low-angle of Belgian skier putting on skiing gear 17. SOUNDBITE (English) Jean Luc Bovens, businessman and skier from Belgium: "Maybe the image of Iran is going to change abroad because right now the image is a little bit difficult. When I say to my friends I am travelling for business to Iran, they look at me and they say 'oh it is going to be difficult'." 18. Low-angle of Bovens on alpine skis 19. Various of women and children skiing downhill 20. SOUNDBITE (Farsi) Setareh Rahmat Monfared, skier from Tehran: "If more foreigners come here, the resort authorities will certainly be encouraged to step up the quality of the equipment and give better services to citizens as well." 21. Wide of skiers relaxing 22. Mid of women taking selfies 23. Mid of man and woman drinking coffee 24. GoPro shot of snowboarding and jumping on airbag 25. Various of snowboarders jumping on big airbag 26. Mid of resort director getting ready to ski 27. SOUNDBITE (Farsi) Hamid Reza Tafteh, Director of RAIKA Tose'eh Kish, private contractor in charge of Dizin Resort: "Removal of sanctions will definitely impact our business. There has been a 850 percent increase in the number of foreign skiers (in January of 2016 compared to January 2015) which shows that the situation is improving." 28. Skiers getting off ski lift and sliding away 29. SOUNDBITE (Farsi) Hamid Reza Tafteh, Director of RAIKA Tose'eh Kish, private contractor in charge of Dizin Resort: "This year (2016) we have signed two memorandums of understanding with European companies of Leitner from Italy and Puma. We are going to finalise these deals in a few days." 30. Various of skiers getting into cable cars 31. Various of skiers getting on dish lifts to be taken uphill 32. Mid of skiers sliding downhill with chairlifts in background LEADIN: The wind of change is already blowing across one of Iran's biggest ski slopes as the country gets relieved from crippling international sanctions. "Sanctions relief will revive the economy," ratings agency Moody's said Monday. STORYLINE Every weekend, Dizin in the Alborz mountain range, north of Tehran, draws hundreds of holidaymakers from the capital and other towns. Resort authorities say that number of foreign skiers in January of 2016 has soared up by 850 percent from a year earlier. =========================================================== Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter:   / ap_archive   Facebook:   / aparchives   ​​ Instagram:   / apnews   You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...