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www.chnpress.com Presidents of Iran’s Chamber of Commerce, Industries and Mines (ICCIM) and Iran’s Cultural Heritage and Tourism Organization (ICHTO) signed a memorandum of understanding for expanding their cooperation for promotion of Iran’s tourism industry.
The conference hall of Iran’s Chamber of Commerce, Industries and Mines (ICCIM) hosted a summit on the promotion of tourism industry in Iran with the attendance of authorities of ICCIM, Iran’s Cultural Heritage and Tourism Organization (ICHTO), and NGOs active in tourism-related affairs. During this gathering, different approaches to eliminate the existing problems and promote the tourism industry in Iran were discussed by the participants.
This summit was attended by the Iranian vice president and president of ICHTO, president of ICCIM, director of tourism commission of Iran’s Chamber of Commerce, and the private sector active in Iran’s tourism industry including the Union of Hotel Owners, travel agencies and tour guiders, head of the Association of Tourism Experts, and chairman of the department for tourism research of Tehran University.
The event provided the opportunity for the first time for different organizations active in Iran’s tourism industry as well as those in the private sector to openly state their ideas for the promotion of tourism in the country and voice their objections to Iran’s tourism officials.
Farokhmehr, the representative of Iran’s Union of Hotel Owners, was one of the speakers in this summit who went briefly over the weaknesses which currently exist in the field of hotel management in Iran and said: “There are many investors who are willing to put their money into Iran’s tourism industry if we prepare the ground for their activity. Those who are active in the tourism industry are connected like a chain and once a link breaks, the tourism industry will collapse.â€Â
Pointing to the fact that Iran must promote its hotel management to be able to fulfill the needs of its tourists, Farokhmehr talked about some necessary facilities which must be provided for foreign tourists to encourage them to come to Iran.
Mohammad Hassan Kermani, director general of Association of Travel Agencies and Airlines in Iran, was another speaker of yesterday’s summit who talked about lack of a common view toward tourism in Iran. According to him, a common view of tourism does not exist in Iran and the Iranian authorities have different opinions about how the tourism industry can be developed in the country. He further said that the best way to solve this problem and attract tourists to Iran is to unite governmental organizations and the private sector, facilitate some of the existing regulations, and take on appropriate advertising policies.
During this summit, a memorandum of understanding was signed between presidents of Iran’s Chamber of Commerce and Iran’s Cultural Heritage and Tourism Organization for the expansion of their cooperation in Iran’s tourism industry. | 
