Iranian vice-president Massoud Soltanifar (center) looks at his notes
After international sanctions were applied to Iran over its continued nuclear activities, the country’s economy could no longer rely on the oil industry alone, and tourism is now playing a more significant role, said Iranian vice-president and head of the Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism Organization, Massoud Soltanifar, at the Global Tourism Economy Forum (GTEF) that comes to an end today.
The third edition of GTEF is focusing on developing tourism across the Maritime Silk Road (MSR) region, and Iran’s VP is convinced that further cooperation between MSR nations is crucial to their local economies.
He claimed that after “illegal sanctions” were imposed on his country, Iran had to take advantage of other economic sectors, with tourism now playing an increasingly significant role. “We have tried to improve our tourism offering by providing new products. We have had a three percent increase on the number of visitors coming from abroad,” he revealed.
In 2006, a United Nations Security Council Resolution was adopted seeking to impose international sanctions on Iran amid concerns over the intentions of its nuclear program, in particular with regards to the uranium enrichment program.
As one of the top government officials participating in the Global Tourism Economy Forum, which kicked off on Monday and ends today, Mr Soltanifar recalled that Iran’s economy relies on the oil industry but the country also hides an extensive collection of cultural heritage sites and monuments, since its history can be traced back thousands of years.
“Increasing and boosting bilateral relations with the Maritime Silk Road countries is essential for us, because all of these nations share a very rich cultural heritage and cultural values with us,” he added.
Massoud Soltanifar stressed that – under international sanctions – they are now trying to increase and develop infrastructure, as well as trying to attract foreign investment. “In our agenda, it is very important to develop this Maritime Silk Road [cooperation]”, he stated.
Providing very concrete suggestions during a forum session yesterday morning, the Iranian VP urged the MSR countries to come together and “establish a specialized union for tourism security amongst the Silk Road nations.” He also suggested they should encourage an increase of direct international flights among these destinations, and further cooperate on archeological excavation projects. “Hopefully, we can inscribe the maritime traffic along the Silk Road as Intangible UNESCO World Heritage,” he said.
Government officials from several MSR countries agreed that furthering cooperation is key to developing tourism across the region, particularly by promoting each nation’s cultural heritage. Darko Lorencin, Croatia’s Minister of Tourism , said that his country has been benefiting from tourism development in recent years, with 95 percent of tourists coming from other European states.
The Croatian government is looking to expand beyond Europe, promoting not only the country’s remarkable beaches but also its rich cultural heritage outside the continent.
Although Chinese tourists usually head for European cities like Paris, Darko Lorencin is hoping they could expand their itineraries to different European countries, Croatia included.
Similarly, the Malaysia Tourism Promotion Board head, Ng Yen Yen, said they cannot achieve their national agenda without cooperation from other countries.
She added that as a cultural melting pot, Malaysia has been shaped by the Maritime Silk Road.
In yesterday morning’s forum session, Márcio Favilla, Executive Director, Operational Programs and Institutional Relations for the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), addressed the audience to recall UNWTO’s priorities, which now include travel facilitation, connectivity, fair taxation, and sustainability.
The forum session’s moderator Anita Mendiratta, founder and managing director of CACHET Consulting, concluded by saying that “we need to put out the invitation [for tourists to visit MSR countries] and recognize the beauty of an idea created about 3,000 years ago.”
The Global Tourism Economy Forum wraps up today with a Macau UNESCO City Tour led by the Macau Government Tourist Office (MGTO). The three-day event at The Venetian Macao brought together government officials and tourism experts from across the globe to discuss the industry’s trends and its future.
Call for one single Visa for silk road countries
The regional director for Asia and the Pacific at the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), Xu Jing, has suggested that – similar to the EU’s Schengen area countries – the Maritime Silk Road countries could also launch a single visa application. At a panel session held yesterday at the Global Tourism Economy Forum, he stressed that this year’s theme “The Maritime Silk Road – From Macau We Begin” is about a dream. He advocated for “one single visa for the MSR countries.”
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