Bakhtiar Haddadi added that the Cultural Heritage and Tourism Organization (CHTO) should focus on attracting tourists to the country and must not worry about the shortage of hotels, since more hotels will quickly be built afterwards.
He stated that tourism is still a traditional industry in Iran, adding, “Some countries have no clear image of Iran and think Iran is the same as Iraq, but we must help restore the reputation of our country through good publicity.
“In the meetings which are often held at the Isfahan Cultural Heritage and Tourism Department, the issue of publicity has always been emphasized. Good publicity provides the ground for the development of the tourism industry, and this is not possible through hotel managers or tour agencies, and the government must begin the actions.”
He pointed out that seventeen licenses for the establishment of hotels have recently been issued in Isfahan, explaining, “We must first provide the grounds for attracting tourists and then increase the number of hotels.”
Noting that Isfahan has been designated as the Cultural Capital of Islam for the year 2006 by the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC), Haddadi said that UNESCO has also recently proposed to designate Isfahan as the World Cultural Capital, and this is all due to the efforts of the public and private sectors.
He went on to say that he disagrees with the idea of people who say that Iran has many obstacles in attracting tourists, adding that Iran can be the best destination for the ten percent of the world’s Muslims who can afford to travel and are looking for a place where they can have fun in line with Islamic principles.
He noted that Iran is one of the safest countries in the world and expressed regret that sometimes the world media give the opposite impression.
“Boosting tourism will help develop the handicrafts and hotel management industries and help introduce rural sites. It will also lead to communication between nations and increase cultural exchange,” he stressed.
In conclusion, he said that learning more about the old and new obstacles hindering efforts to boost tourism in Iran would help the industry flourish.
RM/HG
End
MNA