Following his visit to the historical city of Tabriz in East Azarbaijan Province, John Green, the chief secretary of the UK embassy in Iran, pledged to take effective measures to promote the city's tourism upon his return to Tehran using his close diplomatic ties with other embassies.
"Tabriz boasts all the capacities to attract tourists and is only in need of proper marketing," he said, CHTN reported.
The official emphasized that the selection of the city as the capital of Islamic tourism in 2018 is a great opportunity to attract more foreign visitors through efforts to better introduce its attractions to the world. "To meet the target, Iranian officials should try to secure designation for Tabriz as the venue of international events and meetings to boost the presentation of Tabriz to the world," Green said.
Scouting Mission
In his meeting with Morteza Abdar, head of the provincial office of Iran's Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism Organization, the British diplomat said his visit to Tabriz was aimed at obtaining a wider gamut of information about its historical and cultural attractions and discovering the city's tourism potential.
Highlighting the relative proximity of Tabriz to the capital as a positive point, Green said it can make Tabriz a suitable site for pilot tourism plans and political events.
"Hosting key political figures from other countries will help convey information about Tabriz to a greater population," he said.
Warmly receiving Green's comments, Morteza Abdar called for linking British tourism companies with those of East Azarbaijan.
"We are absolutely willing to hold meetings with UK firms to establish an effective relationship," he said.
In December 2015, Tabriz was selected as the capital of Islamic tourism in 2018 by the Organization of Islamic Cooperation.
The capital of the northwestern province of East Azarbaijan predates the Islamic conquest of Persia. It served as the capital city of a number of dynasties following the conquest.
The city hosts famous sites, including Jameh Mosque, Arg-e Tabriz (citadel) and Bazaar of Tabriz, of which the latter is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. In 2015, Tabriz was declared a World Craft City by the World Craft Council.
