Iran unveils 246 projects during Tourism Week
Despite wartime conditions and existing challenges, 246 tourism projects in 27 provinces were unveiled during this year’s Tourism Week (Sept.27-Oct.4), while another 128 projects became operational during Government (Week Aug. 24-30).
According to IRNA, Minister of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts Seyyed Reza Salehi-Amiri made the remarks at a ceremony marking Tourism Week in Bushehr.
He said that, overall, 500 tourism projects had been unveiled or inaugurated across the country over the past year, stressing that “despite the pressures, the wheel of development never stopped turning.”
“Tourism is an engine that sets all the wheels of the economy in motion, and the Ministry of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts is determined to accelerate this process,” Salehi-Amiri said.
He added that Bushehr must prepare for an influx of tourists from around the world, saying that during foreign visits, Iranian officials had observed a change in how other countries viewed and interacted with Iran. “The world is interested in seeing the new Iran up close,” he said.
Salehi-Amiri said a new tourism corridor in southern Iran was emerging and that “southern tourism” would become one of the country’s main priorities in the national tourism calendar. He said Chabahar, Makoran, Hormozgan, Qeshm, Kish, Bushehr and Khuzestan would be promoted more extensively to domestic and international tourists.
“The southern coastline must become an active tourism corridor in Iran’s tourism calendar, and Bushehr can become one of the country’s hubs for marine tourism,” he said.
Referring to Bushehr’s potential for marine tourism, the minister said the development of ports, marinas, hotels and coastal tourism complexes was essential to accommodate large numbers of visitors. He invited investors from across the country to invest in southern Iran, particularly Bushehr Province.
He said tourism investment packages for Bushehr had been prepared and added that, alongside support for air, road and rail transportation, the ministry would provide the necessary assistance to strengthen the province’s tourism infrastructure.
The minister also stressed the need to expand eco-lodges in Bushehr, saying the province has one of Iran’s largest potentials for ecotourism. The ministry, he said, would support operators throughout the process — from licensing and construction to the launch of their businesses —through financial assistance and interest-free loans.
Highlighting Bushehr’s cultural and historical assets, Salehi-Amiri said the province was not merely a tourism destination but also embodied a distinct identity and historical heritage.
“It has more than 6,000 years of history and civilization, extending from the Elamite civilization to the present day,” he said.
The minister said some 670,000 people are currently engaged in handicraft production across Iran, with women accounting for 80 percent of them.
He also said Iran currently has 800 museums, of which about 300 are state-run, while the remainder — equivalent to 62.2 percent — are privately operated.
Speaking at the opening and redesign ceremony of the Rais-Ali Delvari Museum in Tangestan, Bushehr Province, Salehi-Amiri said the government was pursuing a policy of “one museum for every city,” with the aim of opening 100 new museums each year.
He described museums as the collective memory of nations and stressed the importance of accurate interpretation and storytelling in museums. According to the minister, qualified professionals with sufficient knowledge should be employed to present the history and culture of different regions of the country.
Referring to the renovation and modernization of the Rais-Ali Delvari Museum, Salehi-Amiri said the facility had been transformed from an ordinary space into a conceptual museum featuring modern design that could appeal to younger generations.
“The Rais-Ali Delvari Museum is one of the most beautiful museums in Iran in terms of both design and concept,” he said.