UNESCO organizes 3-day consultative meeting on development of a national sustainable tourism strategy in I.R. Iran

UNESCO and the Iranian Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism Organisation (ICHHTO) embarked on a three-day consultative meeting to discuss the development of a national sustainable tourism strategy for Iran, AVA Diplomatic reports.

The meeting brought together national tourism experts from ICHHTO, the private sector and NGOs to discuss issues ranging from tourism planning, destination management, marketing and branding, public-private partnerships, product development, to local community involvement.

The Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran has made the boosting of its tourism industry a key priority. As part of the country’s 20-year vision, Iran is hoping to attract 20 million tourists per year by the year 2025, generating an estimated US$ 25- US$ 30 billion in revenues.

During her opening remarks, Ms. Esther Kuisch Laroche, Director of the UNESCO Tehran Cluster Office said: “Tourism is one of the world’s fastest growing industries and is a major source of income for many countries around the world. Being a people-oriented industry, tourism also provides a significant number of jobs, which have helped to revitalize many local economies.”

The UNESCO Representative stressed the important tourism potential that exists in Iran and talked about the 21 UNESCO World Heritage Sites and the rich cultural diversity of Iran, which is also reflected in its intangible cultural heritage.

“World Heritage Sites have become important travel destinations around the world that- if managed properly- can have great potential impact for local economic development and long-term sustainability”, said Ms. Kuisch Laroche. “At UNESCO we believe that World Heritage and tourism stakeholders both share a joint responsibility for the conservation of our common cultural and natural heritage and for sustainable development through appropriate tourism management.”

She talked about UNESCO’s World Heritage and Sustainable Tourism Programme, which aims to integrate planning for tourism and heritage management at the destination level and ensure that the natural and cultural assets are valued and protected.

The consultative meeting is being facilitated by Ms. Dominique Verdugo – a renowned tourism development expert from France- and will cover not only cultural tourism, but also other types of tourism that Iran would like to further develop, such as eco-tourism, health tourism and religious tourism.

The meeting will last until 8 December and its outcomes will inform the development of Iran’s national strategy for sustainable tourism.