Iran, Island of Tourist Attractions
He said that the fact that Iran is home to 51 unique ancient sites, 69 ancient fire temples, 114 holy shrines, 11 ancient schools, old bazaars, 16 towers and castles, and hundreds of other unique attractions has turned it into an island of tourist attractions.
He also described our country's tourist industry as well developed compared to other countries, and said that our country is known to tourists from all over the world as a small continent of tourism.
He also criticized the performance of the Iran Touring and Tourism Organization (ITTO) in developing the tourist industry and said that the government should not interfere in this industry. He believes that the tourist industry plays a role in the economy of families and that the private sector and families should work together in this field.
He stated that the tourist industry creates twice as many jobs as other industries and added that economic experts predict that after the year 2005, the tourism sector will become an important sector of the national economy.
Moreover, he underlined the fact that investing in the tourist industry would be beneficial to the economy of Iran, and added that the most significant benefits of this investment would be more efficient use of small industries possessing little capital, providing employment to unskilled workers, creating balance in the country's economy, and increasing the circulation of capital in society.
He said that each dollar invested in tourism will yield a profit of 10 dollars in return, meaning that the revenue generated by this industry is 1000 percent greater than the initial investment.
Mohammadi stated that the tourist industry is the only industry which produces minimal environmental damage, adding that it can even play an important role in restoring and reviving the environment.