Spain’s Minister of Industry, Energy and Tourism Jose Manuel Soria has extended an invitation to tourism officials of Isfahan and Iran to visit the Southern European country and study the latest developments in their hospitality industry.
Last week, Isfahan hosted 60 Spanish economic and cultural delegates, including members of the Spanish Hotel Association. Among the officials visiting Isfahan were Spain’s Ministers of Foreign Affairs Jose Manuel Garcia-Margallo, Minister of Public Works Ana Pastor Julian and Jose Manuel Soria Lopez.
During his visit to Isfahan and its tourist attractions, Soria said, “Isfahan is a historical, astounding and beautiful city which had close ties with Spain during critical points in history like in the 17th century,” CHTN reported.
During Soria’s meeting last Monday with Masoud Soltanifar, head of Iran’s Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism Organization, Soltanifar called for future collaborations between the two states and called on Spanish investors to invest in Iran.
In Isfahan, Soria said Spanish investors are ready to enter the Iranian market and invest in hotel projects and asked ICHHTO to facilitate foreign investment.
He heaped praise on Isfahan officials’ efforts to develop tourism in the province and said the majority of Europeans who visit the historical city are Spaniards.
According to the Spanish minister, Spain is ready to invest in 300 hotel construction projects in Iran.
Iran aims to attract 20 million tourists a year by 2025, and lack of accommodation is seen as a major obstacle in realizing that goal.
