Exhibition diplomacy key to postwar tourism recovery
Exhibition diplomacy will play a central role in rebuilding Iran’s tourism sector after wartime damage, Deputy Tourism Minister Anoushirvan Mohseni Bandpey said on Wednesday at a meeting of the country's Foreign Exhibitions Policy Council in Tehran.
The high-level gathering, held at the Tourism Ministry's deputy office and attended by senior government officials, tourism associations, business chamber representatives and free-zone authorities, focused on selecting priority international exhibitions, appointing organizers and defining Iran's global tourism marketing roadmap, CHTN reported.
Iran's cultural heritage authorities said that recent strikes by the United States and Israel which began February 28 have damaged 149 historical sites.
Mohseni Bandpey described peace, stability and national cohesion as the foundations of tourism recovery, saying the industry must unite to overcome the impact of wartime losses and restore momentum.
"Today, more than ever, we need solidarity across the tourism sector to compensate for the damages and consequences imposed during the war," he said.
Deputy minister said 64 tourism facilities and establishments, along with 149 museum, historical and civilizational sites, sustained damage during the conflict. Despite the setbacks, he stressed that international marketing efforts would continue.
"Our plans to introduce Iran's tourism potential to global audiences will not stop," he said, adding that overseas exhibitions remain among the most effective platforms for promotion, market development and tourism diplomacy.
With reconstruction costs and economic pressures limiting available resources, the deputy minister said Iran would pursue a more targeted and strategic presence at major tourism fairs abroad. He identified neighboring and border countries as the primary focus of the country's tourism diplomacy and called for greater involvement from free zones, provincial authorities, the Iran Chamber of Commerce and professional tourism organizations.
He also proposed leveraging the capacities of border provinces by assigning some exhibitions in neighboring countries to adjacent Iranian provinces for implementation and coordination.
Council members and industry representatives reviewed priority markets and support mechanisms for the private sector, while examining several planning scenarios for participation in foreign tourism exhibitions. Participants emphasized the importance of strengthening Iran's presence in neighboring countries, the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), health tourism markets and key European destinations.