The largest tourism conference in Iran kicked off on Sunday in Tehran in the latest bid by officials to entice foreign investors into financing hotel projects.
Organized by Iran’s Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism Organization, the two-day International Tourism Investment Conference aims to bring together Iranian investors and their foreign counterparts in the hope of establishing fruitful partnerships.
According to ISNA, representatives from 60 international firms based in Europe, Africa and Asia are attending the event.
Tourism officials are expected to unveil a highly-anticipated hotel investment package during the conference, which includes projects in each one of Iran’s 31 provinces.
Iran has just over 1,140 hotels, less than 140 of which are four- and five-star establishments, which experts and insiders say has stymied the growth of the flourishing tourism sector.
Officials aim to increase the country’s inbound tourists by fourfold to 20 million by 2025, a rather ambitious goal but one that authorities feel is achievable, given Iran’s untapped potential.
Observers say Iran needs at least 400 quality lodging facilities to accommodate the projected 20 million travelers.
Financial Tribune will publish a full report on the event in tomorrow’s edition.
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