TEHRAN – Iran’s Minister of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts said on Wednesday that Iranian ambassadors in neighboring and friendly countries can play a role in attracting more tourists to the Islamic Republic.

Seyyed Reza Salehi-Amiri made the remarks at a regional meeting on provincial diplomacy held in Mashhad, saying tourists from Central Asia, the Caucasus, Turkey, Pakistan, and Persian Gulf littoral states from Iraq to Saudi Arabia are interested in visiting Iran.

He added that Iran is also focusing on attracting visitors from China, India and Russia as key target markets.

The minister said that under Iran’s Seventh National Development Plan, parliament (Majlis) has approved five tourism incentives, and the related regulations have been prepared. He said the new incentives could bring significant changes to the sector.

To cite examples, Salehi-Amiri said investors across the country are now allowed to build mixed-use complexes that combine residential and hotel facilities. He added that the government has also authorized duty-free and tariff-free imports of 200 types of essential goods for hotels.

Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the event, the minister said Iran hosts about 1.2 million medical tourists annually, generating around $2 billion in revenue. He said plans aim to increase that number to 2 million visitors, with expected revenue of $6 billion.

He said the government seeks to enhance tourism and economic cooperation through more active border crossings in (the border) provinces such as Kermanshah, Ilam and the three Khorasan provinces. He cited the example of a 400-bed hospital in Abadan that receives medical tourists daily from Iraq’s Basra, with similar activity in Kermanshah and Tabriz.

The two-day conference opened in Mashhad on Wednesday with two expert panels on economic, commercial, investment and free zone cooperation, as well as on linking national and regional economies through new and knowledge-based technologies. It brought together 12 Iranian ambassadors to neighboring countries, national and provincial chamber of commerce officials and a number of deputy foreign ministers.

The event aims to present the capabilities of northeastern provinces, assess essential goods supply from neighboring countries, and explore ways to expand trade and economic relations with regional partners.

Iran seeks to reap a bonanza from its numerous tourist spots such as bazaars, museums, mosques, bridges, bathhouses, madrasas, mausoleums, churches, towers, and mansions, of which 29 sole or chain properties are inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage list.

AM