TEHRAN – Ilam province’s handicrafts exhibitions in Iraq have strengthened ties between Iranian and Iraqi businessmen, a local official said on Friday.

The provincial tourism chief Farzad Sharifi said that Ilam has so far held 19 handicraft exhibitions in Iraq with the aim of strengthening border diplomacy. “This two-way interaction with the border provinces has led us to hold the most handicraft and tourism exhibitions and create a very good boom in the field of tourism and handicrafts.”

He continued: “In addition to selling handicrafts, significant steps were taken to attract health tourists between Iran and Iraq in form of a memorandum of understanding with the Iraqi governor, so that at the same time, Ilam University of Medical Sciences also obtained three international hospital licenses, which led to fundamental steps being taken in the field of health tourism.”

He also pointed out that the construction of tourism infrastructure is one of the priorities of Ilam Cultural Heritage Department and emphasized: “According to the order of  Minister of Cultural Heritage to create a five-year plan for all provinces and annual evaluation and performance of the provincial plans, Ilam Cultural Heritage Department has put this planning on the agenda, and currently, the five-year plans are completely clear.”

Sharifi said that currently, in the field of tourism in Ilam province, the infrastructure is almost ready, so that a three-star hotel has already reached the exploitation stage and has witnessed a physical progress of 95 percent 

“Also, in  Mehdiabad village, which is on the way to the holy shrines, we have a four-star hotel on the agenda, and this hotel has also seen a physical progress of 30 percent.”

Sharifi added: “Currently, a very good tourist restaurant has been opened in Ilam in an area of 1,200 meters and with employment for 50 people, which we hope will be put into operation as soon as possible in the near future.”

 However, Ilam Cultural Heritage Department is focusing more on the issue of accommodation centers and ecotourism, as nearly 137 ecotourism spaces have been created in Ilam since the past, considering the demand of the tourism market, he pointed out.

He also mentioned the rescue of historical monuments and archaeological excavations in Ilam province, adding that credits have been provided for the rescue of historical monuments, restoration and excavations of historical sites, and good measures have been taken in this regard, considering that Ilam is a province rich in historical monuments and sites.

KD