More Support for Tourism Sector

Governor of the Central Bank of Iran Valiollah Seif has pledged greater support for domestic tourism, after a call from the Leader of Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei to help shift focus away from outbound tourism. “The tourism sector can play a vital role in helping the economy, particularly by generating employment, and the banking system can promote its development,” Seif said in a Friday meeting with the head of Iran’s Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism Organization, Ali Asghar Mounesan. The meeting came after a recent call by the Leader on Iranians to avoid  “travelling abroad too frequently” and “quit this bad habit”, at a time when “the enemies are plotting to exert economic pressure”. Underscoring the high potential of tourism sector in attracting capital inflows, Seif said the tourism industry can become a top source of foreign currency income. Mounesan, who doubles as vice president, noted that tourism development could help buttress other economic sectors, CBI’s website reported.