Minister vows major upgrade of tourism infrastructure
Iran’s Minister of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts Reza Salehi Amiri on Wednesday promised to launch what he called a “movement” to build basic infrastructure for the ministry, vowing better pay, upgraded offices and wider provincial representation for staff across the country.
The pledge came in a message marking Government Week (August 24-30), where Salehi Amiri tied the ministry’s future to “social capital” and framed the task of preserving heritage as a historic mission beyond daily bureaucracy, ILNA reported.
His remarks underscored Tehran’s intent to shore up a sector officials see as both a national identity anchor and a driver of sustainable growth.
Referring to the country’s strained economic backdrop and a short but intense conflict last year, Salehi Amiri praised employees for keeping “the light of service” alive.
He called their resilience “a golden page in the organizational memory,” noting that many worked in towns without adequate facilities or even basic livelihoods.
The minister said he plans to tour all 31 provinces by late September to meet staff directly, hear their concerns, and assess shortages in administrative space and resources. “The bitter reality is that many of you are serving under minimum living standards,” he said, pointing to 380 counties that lack proper offices.
Salehi Amiri highlighted three fronts of progress — protection of cultural heritage, growth of handicrafts as a “mirror of national culture,” and tourism as an engine for development. Each, he said, was made possible by “sacrifice” from staff whose names “shine on the achievements” of the ministry.
He described the roadmap ahead as aligned with guidelines from Iran’s Leader Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei and President Masoud Pezeshkian, presenting it as part of a broader strategy to revive Iran’s “historic grandeur.”