TEHRAN – Iran’s southeastern province of Kerman will host the second meeting of the Silk Road Tourism Working Group of the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) and the sixth International Silk Road Food Festival in the second half of 2026, the deputy tourism minister said on Tuesday.

Anoushirvan Mohseni-Bandpei, deputy minister of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts, announced the selection during a meeting with Kerman’s governor-general. He welcomed the province’s readiness to host international events and praised the initiative “World’s Smile to Kerman 2026” led by Governor-General Mohammad-Ali Talebi as a comprehensive, forward-looking plan.

Mohseni-Bandpei said the ministry will support the initiative using all available capacities. He emphasized that hosting the ECO tourism meeting and related events provides a strategic opportunity to showcase Kerman’s tourism, cultural, and culinary potential to ECO member states and other global markets.

Talebi confirmed the province’s preparedness to organize the events, saying, “With coordinated planning, alignment of executive bodies, and utilization of Kerman’s unique historical, natural, cultural, and culinary assets, these events will be held to international standards.”

According to a report by ISNA, Kerman’s selection followed a careful evaluation of proposals from several qualified provinces based on transparent indicators and international criteria. The decision reflects confidence in the province’s management, operational, and infrastructural capabilities.

The meeting is intended to strengthen national and provincial coordination, advance sustainable tourism objectives, and leverage tourism industry potential for economic development and employment generation, officials said.

The ECO is an intergovernmental organization covering countries in Europe, the Caucasus, Central and West Asia, and South Asia, with more than 460 million inhabitants across 8 million square kilometers. It aims to promote sustainable economic development in member states and the broader region.

AM