Iran, China ink 5-year tourism cooperation agreement
The Association of Air Transport and Tourist Agencies of Iran (AATTAI) and the Iran-China Friendship Association signed a five-year cooperation agreement on Tuesday, aiming to boost tourism ties between the two countries.
The agreement was signed by Alaaeddin Boroujerdi, Chairman of the Iran-China Friendship Association, and Hormatollah Rafiei, President of AATTAI, ILNA reported.
According to the agreement, the two organizations will work together to strengthen and expand relations between Iran and China, with a focus on developing tourism and cultural exchange between the two nations. The agreement also emphasizes the importance of cooperation in the fields of sports tourism, creative tourism, cultural tourism, and intangible heritage.
Rafiei stated that the agreement includes the establishment of specialized working groups consisting of experts and scholars from both countries to study cultural and tourism development, as well as cooperation in organizing national and international conferences and exhibitions in the tourism industry.
He also noted that the agreement highlights the potential for cooperation between Iranian and Chinese cities, including Tehran-Beijing, Tehran-Guangzhou, Isfahan-Xi’an, and Shiraz-Chongqing, among others.
Rafiei emphasized that these sister cities can be used to develop tourism between the two countries.
The agreement also includes provisions for planning and organizing independent and joint tours based on the “One Belt, One Road” initiative, a 25-year cooperation agreement between Iran and China in the field of tourism.
The head of AATTAI added that the agreement also includes the launch of cultural campaigns to promote a positive image of Iran, as well as cooperation in designing and implementing programs related to cultural heritage and handicrafts.
Boroujerdi noted that in his meetings with the President of AATTAI, they reached the conclusion that if even 1% of China’s 160 million outbound tourists visit Iran, it would have a significant impact on the country’s tourism industry.
He criticized the lack of sufficient infrastructure to accommodate a large number of tourists, citing a previous experience where the Chinese Embassy in Iran announced plans to send 1,000 tourists to Iran, but there were not enough hotels to accommodate them.
Boroujerdi emphasized that Iran and China can take big steps in attracting foreign tourists, especially from the Chinese market, through cooperation with travel agencies.
Rafiei also stated that Iran has the necessary infrastructure to host Chinese tourists, and that the association is ready to cooperate with Chinese travel agencies to attract more visitors. However, he noted that the official statistics on tourist arrivals in Iran are inaccurate, and that the actual number of tourists is much lower than the reported 6 million.
Rafiei said that if AATTAI and the Iran-China Friendship Association cooperate strongly, they can attract 1% of Chinese tourists, which would be a significant number.
Both sides agreed to follow up on the implementation of the agreement, which is expected to boost tourism ties between Iran and China in the coming years.