TEHRAN - Iran's Minister of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts on Tuesday said cooperation between the government and municipalities was essential for expanding tourism infrastructure and restoring historical urban districts.

Seyyed Reza Salehi-Amiri made the remarks during a meeting with the secretary-general of the Assembly of Mayors and accompanying officials, describing municipalities as strategic partners of the ministry in the country's development plans, Mehr news agency reported.

"Successful domestic experiences and international models show that tourism development, expansion of accommodation infrastructure and restoration of historical districts cannot be achieved with the desired speed and quality without the effective participation of urban management," Salehi-Amiri was quoted as saying.

He said agreements had been reached with municipalities across the country to facilitate investment in hotels and tourism facilities, with some cities offering reductions in municipal fees and infrastructure costs to attract investors.

Salehi-Amiri said the construction sector had significant capacity to invest in tourism projects and that municipal incentives could help redirect capital toward tourism infrastructure development.

He said restoration of historical districts and redevelopment of heritage buildings had progressed more successfully in cases where municipalities worked closely with the government, and called for such cooperation to become a nationwide model.

The minister cited the restoration of the historic Saad al-Saltaneh complex in Qazvin as an example of successful cooperation between the government and municipal authorities. He said the site had become a center for tourism, economic activity and public use after being transferred to the municipality.

Salehi-Amiri said government resources alone were insufficient to meet the extensive restoration needs of historic districts and that private investors and municipal authorities should play a larger role in preserving and utilizing cultural heritage assets.

He also called for a stronger role for municipalities in provincial decision-making processes, saying urban management should be considered an important pillar of the country's executive system.

Salehi-Amiri said many countries had given municipalities a central role in local planning and development and that Iran could benefit from those experiences to improve urban governance.

Competition among cities in areas such as handicraft markets, historic district restoration, creative industries and tourism infrastructure could contribute to urban economic growth and national development, the minster said.

Iran has numerous historic cities, including Yazd, Kashan, Isfahan, Shiraz, Qazvin, Tabriz and Kerman, which contain significant historic districts and cultural heritage sites.

AM