TEHRAN – Iran’s Minister of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts Seyyed Reza Salehi-Amiri has met with the new UN Tourism Secretary-General Shaikha Al Nowais on the sidelines of the UN body’s 26th general assembly, which officially opened in Riyadh on Sunday.

During the meeting, Salehi-Amiri underlined expanding joint cooperation, promoting sustainable and cultural tourism, and enhancing international engagement in the field of cultural heritage, ISNA reported.

Highlighting Iran’s strong position in the tourism sector, he said the country, with more than one million identified historical monuments and 29 UNESCO World Heritage properties, ranks among the world’s leading nations in the field of human heritage.

“We have set a major goal to double the number of tourists and expand accommodation and service infrastructure in the country's five-year tourism development plan.” 

He congratulated Shaikha Al Nowais on her election as the new Secretary-General of the World Tourism Organization and added: “We consider the presence of capable women in management fields to be a valuable asset, and in Iran’s Ministry of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts, a group of successful female managers at the national and provincial levels hold important responsibilities that play an important role in promoting productivity and innovation in this sector.”

Salehi-Amiri continued by explaining Iran's diverse capacities in cultural, historical, natural and health tourism and stated that tourism in Iran is not only a link between nations, but also a factor for economic development and strengthening the dialogue between civilizations. 

“We are ready to expand successful sustainable tourism models at the regional level by working closer with the World Tourism Organization.”

He then officially invited the Secretary General of the World Tourism Organization to attend the Tehran International Tourism and Related Industries Exhibition in February.

This exhibition is one of the largest tourism events in the region and will be a platform for introducing Iran's diverse capacities, strategic dialogues and developing international cooperation, he added.

In this meeting, Shaikha Al Nowais also expressed her gratitude for the support of the Islamic Republic of Iran for her candidacy and said: “Iran is one of the countries with a deep civilization and rich culture that has many historical and natural attractions. Developing cooperation with Iran can help strengthen the regional tourism and introduce the beautiful reality of Iran to the world.”

Emphasizing Iran's role as an active member of the World Tourism Organization, she added: “We are ready to support Iran's plans to increase its share of global tourism and develop its educational, cultural and international marketing capacities.”

KD