The formation of Tourism Investment Commission in Majlis (parliament) will help attract much-needed investment in Iran’s emerging tourism industry, according to a key player in the sector. Speaking on Thursday at a meeting in Meshkinshahr, Ardabil Province, Nasser Mashhadizadeh, secretary of the Association of Investors in Iran’s Exemplary Tourism Sites, said the inception of the commission allows for more productive discussions between public officials and the private sector. “It allows the tourism industry to be revived with the help of private investors,” he was quoted as saying by IRIB News.Lamenting the crippling bureaucracy that discourages investors, Mashhadizadeh urged the authorities to simplify procedures and cut red tape to help the flow of money into key projects, such as hotel construction and restoration of historical buildings. By providing information about investment opportunities, offering financial incentives, reducing paperwork and providing a platform for the public and private sectors to cooperate, the government can help boost the tourism industry, and by extension, the economy. Facilitating investment, especially in the tourism sector, will substantially boost revenues.
