Envoy: Private sector role essential in boosting Iran-turkey tourism ties

Iran’s ambassador to Turkey emphasized the role of tourism in promoting the public diplomacy between Iran and Turkey and called on the Iranian private sector to take more steps in this regard.

“Tourism is of great importance, because of both its economic and cultural aspects as it makes the peoples of the two countries closer to each other, beside its economic turnover,” said Mohammad Ebrahim Taherianfard.

In recent years, Tehran and Ankara have been seeking to boost tourism relations, with a special emphasis on activating their private sectors, the envoy told IRNA.

“We will work on both public and private sectors to realize such a goal,” he said.

Referring to naming Tabriz as the tourism capital of the Muslim world for 2018 by the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, the diplomat said, “We have done all our best to introduce the event and the ancient Islamic city to the people in Turkey.” But much more efforts are needed on the part of authorities to fully introduce the Iranian city to would-be Turkish tourists, Taherianfard said.

He once again stressed the importance of Iran’s private sector to get involved and help promote the country’s tourism industry.

Turkey can be a good role model for Iran, as it has paved the way for the private sector in the country to get involved and take the role of a main player in the tourism industry and has gained good results, he said.

“A balanced development of relations with all countries of the world has been taken into consideration in Iran’s foreign policy, and among the 15 countries neighboring Iran, Turkey is of a prominent position,” Taherianfard said.

Trade exchange between the two countries is about $12 billion, but the goal is set for 30 billion dollars by the presidents of Iran and Turkey, he recalled.

Quoting comments by Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim suggesting that, currently, trade exchange between Tehran and Ankara could potentially reach 100 billion dollars annually, the Iranian envoy expressed hope that the relations between the two neighboring countries will be expanded in the near future to realize the figure.