The 40th Plenary Session of the United Nations World Tourism Organization Affiliate Members is currently underway in Hamedan, which is expected to put Iran's budding tourism sector on the international map more than ever, even as US sanctions have been reimposed.
The session, running from Nov. 12 to 14, has brought hundreds of foreign representatives and the message that UNWTO supports the tourism sector of a country that was hit with the harshest-ever US sanctions only days before.
At a press conference on the sidelines of the global tourism industry's biggest annual event, UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili said he is well aware of issues facing Iran's economy and people due to US sanctions reimposed after Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew from Iran's nuclear deal in May.
He said the organization is ready to assist Iran as a longstanding member and reminded participants that sometimes difficult conditions lead to added strength.
"We have travelled to Iran to promote Iran as a safe and calm tourism destination and through helping develop tourism in Iran, strengthen it in face of its problems," Pololikashvili quoted as saying by the Persian economic daily Donya-e Eqtesad.
"Our presence in Iran means that we invite the people of the world to travel to this country and visit its many tourist attractions to add to the number of tourists visiting the country."
Asked about how and whether the UNWTO can assist Iran with nullifying unilateral US sanctions that also threaten its tourism sector, Pololikashvili pointed out that the US is not an official member of the UNWTO, so it cannot directly influence the organization's decisions.
"But since we are an organization affiliated with the UN and creating jobs in countries is considered a duty and a value for us, we will do our utmost to dilute unilateral US sanctions against Iran in the area of tourism and are certain that this issue will be resolved in the long term," the official said.
In addition to US sanctions, the Trump administration has imposed travel restrictions that target and hurt Iranians. Based on the US policies, that became known as the "Muslim Ban" due to the fact that they primarily target Muslim nations, nationals that have recently travelled to Iran, in addition to several other countries, will find their travels to the US restricted.
To counter the Trump move, Iran has mounted an initiative that has been implemented in recent months. It eliminates the need for passports of foreign nationals travelling to Iran to be stamped, which removes the threat of their future complications in the US.
Speaking to Donya-e-Eqtesad, Pololikashvili referred to visas as "one of the oldest and most fundamental problems for travel in the world" since some countries, especially the US, are exerting politics through them.
"Our aim is to eliminate visas around the world and we will do our best in UNWTO to resolve this longstanding issue," he said.
During his press conference, the UNWTO chief pointed out that Hamedan has been chosen as the tourism capital of Asian countries in 2018 as a city that boasts vast potentials to attract visitors.
Pololikashvili also praised Iranian authorities for increasingly focusing on tourism sector as a sustainable source of income.
In recent months, Iranian authorities have redoubled efforts to give a boost to the underdeveloped tourism sector to increase foreign currency revenues and create jobs.
A sharp depreciation of the national currency has meant that travelling to and shopping in Iran is now significantly cheaper for foreign nationals.
Authorities have in recent months accelerated work on the marine tourism sector, namely by completing long-gestating travel sea routes and establishing new ones. They have also facilitated the process of obtaining visas and issuing visa waivers.
Some of these initiatives have been realized only through the private sector's support.
Referring to Iran as one of the richest countries in terms of tourism attractions, Pololikashvili said, "Iran is an active member of UNWTO and the private sector has had a special role in this participation."
In addition to having many natural attractions and a rich and ancient culture dating back thousands of years, Iran has 23 properties inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
UNWTO Measures to Help Iran
Ali Asghar Mounesan, the head of Iran Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism Organization, also spoke at the press conference, announcing several important UNWTO measures that will assist Iran's tourism sector.
According to the official, a handicrafts branch of UNWTO will be established and its central office will be located in Iran. He described the move as one of the most important achievements of Pololikashvili's visit.
The UNWTO has promised to send experts to assist Iran in devising a tourism satellite account (TSA).
A term developed by UNWTO, TSA is a statistical instrument designed to measure the share of the sector in the overall economy. It will allow authorities to make valid comparisons with other sectors and eventually other countries. Lack of TSA in Iran has been felt for years.
"Implementing such an account is a very complicated process and requires experience. We have been working with the Central Bank of Iran and the Statistical Center of Iran to do this for a long time," Mounesan said.
