TWO Persian students from the industrial city of Estahan in Iran were chosen as Baguio’s Lucky Foreign Visitors 2010.
The choice of the duo from the Middle East marks the first time since this international tourism event started in 1972.
Leila Pouramoy, 26, and Zohreh Ghasemi, 28, are both taking their Masters in Psychology at Saint Louis University.
“We are honored to be chosen as lucky foreign visitors. We are thrilled about it,” Pouramoy and Ghasemi said.
This annual search for the lucky foreign visitors is an international friendship-fostering tourism program sponsored by the National Correspondents Club of Baguio (NCBB) headed by veteran newsmen Nars Padilla and Centennial Commissioner Gerry Evangelista.
On their first month, they enrolled at Viavox Language Center for a crash course on English.
“Baguio is very beautiful. Oh I love mountains. The climate is very refreshing. It’s a great place to study,” said Pouramoy.
“The people here are so friendly. They have big hearts,” added Ghasemi.
A “Mabuhay” red carpet reception for the lucky foreign visitors will kick off on March 31 at 9 am at the NCCB Kafagway Summerbest.
There will be a program in front of the City Hall and a presentation of the symbolic key of the City of Baguio. The foreign visitors will also plant trees at the Rose Garden, Burnham Park and will tour on historic sites in Baguio and La Trinidad in Benguet province.