Isfahan to host ECO health tourism event
Iran’s central city of Isfahan has been chosen to host the fourth Health Tourism Event, Conference and Exhibition of the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO), Iran’s deputy Tourism Minister Anoushirvan Mohseni Bandpey said on Wednesday.
The decision followed a specialist assessment of bids from Isfahan, Tabriz, Yazd, Birjand and Ahvaz by members of Iran’s Health Tourism Steering Council during the fourth meeting of its specialized planning working group, IRNA reported.
The proposals were assessed against criteria including medical and tourism infrastructure and facilities, transport, health tourism capacity and competitive advantages, development plans, target markets, scientific and specialist programs, the ability to hold business-to-business (B2B) meetings, and information and media programs, Bandpey said.
“After the council weighed up the expert assessments, Isfahan was selected because of its outstanding capacities, organizational capabilities and proposed programs,” he added.
Bandpey noted that the international event would be an important step toward expanding regional cooperation, promoting Iran’s health tourism capabilities, increasing scientific, medical and commercial exchanges among ECO member states and strengthening Iran’s position as a leading health tourism destination in the region.
The fourth ECO health tourism event will bring together representatives from member states, tourism industry operators, medical centers, hospitals, facilitator companies, universities and specialists in the sector.
It will provide a platform to build up health diplomacy, exchange knowledge and experience, and create new opportunities for economic and medical cooperation across the region. It has yet to be decided when the event will take place in 2026.
ECO is a regional intergovernmental organization founded in 1985 by Iran, Pakistan and Turkey, with its headquarters in Tehran. Its main objective is to promote economic, technical and cultural cooperation among its members.
The organization now has 10 member states that include Iran, Pakistan, Turkey, Azerbaijan, Afghanistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan.