TEHRAN--The first round of awarding the Green Label for Iranian Hotels is being held with the aim of promoting a sustainable approach in tourism businesses, said Mohammad Jahanshahi, an official with the Ministry of Cultural Heritage, Tourism, and Handicrafts.

According to IRNA, he noted that the ceremony for awarding the Green Label to Iranian hotels will be held by the country's Tourism Ministry in cooperation with the Iranian Hoteliers' Professional Association in Tehran in the first week of Iranian month of Mehr, coinciding with World Tourism Day. 

He added: “Our goal is to strengthen the flow of green tourism in the country and we are seeking to expand sustainable approaches in businesses as well as the country's tourism destinations.”

Jahanshahi continued, “Our efforts are focused on optimizing resources, increasing productivity in the tourism supply chain, and promoting and engaging with human and natural communities around the industry.”

He said: “In this event, which is being held for the first time at this level and scale, we have targeted one of the main sources of resource consumption and carbon emissions in the global tourism industry and our country, namely hotels.” 

The official stated that this event is being held as part of the special programs to commemorate World Tourism Day and is a continuation of the efforts that have been made in recent years to improve the sustainability indicators in the country's tourism.

Jahanshahi called on the country's hotel industry activists to participate in this event so that, in addition to placing greater value on optimizing resource consumption and the efforts that have been made in this regard, they can also be a factor in strengthening the social responsibilities of the tourism industry in the country.

KD