For the first time, from 31 provinces of the country, heads of the guilds active in tourism industry, met in the tourism department of Iran’s Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism Organization (ICHHTO) on December 9 to discuss policies, regulations, and ways of effective interaction among the guilds, public relations office of ICHHTO quoted tourism deputy of ICHHTO Morteza Rahmani Movahed as saying.
The participants, who were representatives of various guilds including airlines and pilgrimage organizations, were divided into working groups and special panels.
The first working group reviewed guild-related problems, legal structure of travel and tourism offices, and the interaction of the offices with tour leaders.
The second group reviewed the problems involved in tour business, laws and regulations on permits, and ways to supervise the travel and tour offices; the third group reviewed issues related to marketing and promotion, and sought solutions for prevention of illegal tours. Tourist insurance, particularly on cancelled trips, was also discussed.
Rahmani Movahed asked the heads of the participating guilds to view the issues from a regional vantage point; when guilds and associations of a region come together and introduce a single representative to convey their concerns and receive suggestions, the ideas, exchanged among the working groups, can constantly be followed throughout the country.
Travel offices of neighboring provinces can provide additional support, conducting joint tours in a more efficient way, the tourism deputy added.
Rahmani Movahed suggested a 10-day deadline to sum up the ideas of the heads of the guilds and associations “The ideas will surely bring some changes in the rulebooks, instructions, and modus operandi. Since tourism industry is comprised of interconnected sectors, any improvement in execution will extend to subsets; and result in satisfaction of home and foreign tourists.
