Tour routes have been defined for 300 tourist guides coming to Iran for 17th World Federation of Tourist Guide Associations (WFTGA) Convention to be held in Tehran, CHN reported. The routes are defined two years prior to the convention to allow provinces to make preparations, and make improvements to the tourism infrastructure and facilities.
Iran Federation of Tourist Guides Associations (IFTGA), which is organizing the convention, won the bid to host the 2017 international event. Against a very stiff competition with Denmark and Singapore, the Iranians pulled out all stops to attract the required votes; they put the famed Iranian hospitality, with which they are so naturally endowed, to full use; they offered tea, dressed up in folk costumes, played the role of traditional hosts, were full of smiles, and armed with plenty of useful information.
A briefing tour, to take place prior to the opening of the event, will go from Tehran to Hamedan. There will be a stop midway at the historical caravanserai of Qazvin. Lunch will be served in Qazvin, and a visit to another historical monument follows, director of IFTGA international affairs, Mohsen Haji-Saeed said.
Next stop will be Soltanieh in Zanjan. The tour will stay there overnight, before moving on to Hamedan, which will involve one night’s stay, lunch and sightseeing the following day.
Another tour is planned after the convention. This time the participants of the convention will fly to Shiraz, the city of nightingales, poetry, and a trip to the awe-inspiring Persepolis. The tour continues to Yazd and Isfahan, before returning to Tehran.
Among the concerns expressed by Haji-Saeed are the sanitation facilities. Roadside rest areas and washrooms need a great deal of attention if they are to reach international standards, he warned.
The 2017 WFTGA Convention is an opportunity to introduce the country’s attractions to foreign tour leaders. Each can lead to many more tourists visiting Iran, and thus help change the perceptions of the country worldwide. Two years before the convention, the government and private sector can and should interact to organize the event in the best possible way, Haji-Saeed added.
