A glittering ceremony attended by President Hassan Rouhani was held on Wednesday in Tabriz, East Azarbaijan Province, to celebrate the city's designation as the Capital of Islamic Tourism in 2018.
Addressing the opening event, Rouhani hailed the nomination, saying that Azarbaijan and Iran deserve such a global status.
"Tabriz has always been Iran's gateway to the western world and will remain a link between the east and the west," he said.
He called for the preservation of the city's order and cleanliness and the quality of its specialties so as to bill it as a tourism hub in the region and the world following the 2018 event.
"Before its urban and historical attractions, Tabriz is a desired destination due to the good manners and the sweet language of its people," the president said.
Host of Projects
Ali Asghar Mounesan, the head of Iran's Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism Organization, also took the podium and pointed to a number of plans to be implemented this year on the occasion of the global nomination, including major restoration projects and launch of new museums.
"The province currently has 67 hotels and apartment hotels and 73 guesthouses with a capacity of 8,400 beds which will hopefully reach 13,100 beds by the end of the incumbent administration's term in 2021," he said.
Tabriz hosted 4.3 million domestic and 520,000 foreign visitors last year. This Norouz (the Iranian New Year holiday, March 21-April 2), the number of domestic travelers to the city rose by 40% and foreign traveler numbers increased by 17%, according to Mounesan.
Dignitaries
The ceremony hosted 43 special guests from 13 countries, namely Turkey, the Republic of Azerbaijan, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Iraq, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, Armenia, Bulgaria and Switzerland, as well as the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic.
The secretary-general of the Economic Cooperation Organization and high-ranking representatives from UNESCO, Japan International Cooperation Agency and the Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization were also among participants.
During the 9th Islamic Conference of Tourism Ministers in December 2015, ministers of tourism of the OIC member states approved the selection of Tabriz as the Capital of Islamic Tourism in 2018.
A preliminary ceremony had been held in January to mark the initiation of the event but the official inauguration was postponed to April.
Array of Programs
An array of programs is lined up to be held along with the inauguration ceremony.
Tabriz hotels, as well as museums and historical sites of the province, have cut their prices on the occasion for one month to mark the launch of the event.
Besides, hand-woven carpets and locally-produced leather products are offered with discounts.
Ethnic festivals are being held on the streets of Tabriz and an exhibition of exquisite local handicrafts has opened to the public.
Pouya Mahmoudian, handicrafts deputy at ICHHTO, had previously said that "the first model of Persian House, in which all items of furniture are traditional handicrafts, is set to open in Solhjou Mansion on the [first] day."
According to Mounesan, introducing the city's attractions in all flights of Turkish Airlines, facilitating the conversion of old houses to ecolodges and traditional hotels and refurbishing the existing hotels have been among the practical plans carried out to promote the city.
To receive more visitors from abroad, plans have been devised to award tour operators cash incentives to attract more foreign tourists.
A special exhibition of Islamic items is planned for the summer and Tabriz will host cultural, scientific and sport events throughout the year.
Novel Concept
In addition, the realization of "Tourist City", a concept that Mounesan has highlighted since his appointment, is on the agenda in Tabriz.
Tourist City is where services are organized to meet the needs of visitors along with residents.
Although its full realization would take time according to Mounesan, the initial steps are being taken in Tabriz.
"In the globally-inscribed Tabriz Bazaar, for instance, the working hours will change to be adjusted to visitors' schedule," he said.
