Hamedan that has been selected as capital of Asian tourism in 2018 is currently hosting one of its two major international events scheduled for this year, in which officials from the Asian Cooperation Dialogue member states hold a conference to discuss ways to link the historical city to the network of top destinations in the continent.
The conference opened on Monday and is due to end on Wednesday after expert meetings, panels and technical tours of the city's attractions. Out of 34 members of ACD, 15 countries have sent 40 representatives to Hamedan altogether to attend the conference along with top Iranian authorities and the ACD secretary-general Bundit Limschoon.
Touch of Local Delights
To better show off the city's allure, the venue of the conference is decorated by Iranian architectural elements inspired by the tombs of Baba Taher and Avicena, the literary and scientific figures of the region.
Iranian traditional drinks besides local cookies, nuts and dried fruits in clay dishes are served to represent the souvenirs of the province during the event. At the opening ceremony, Limschoon emphasized that tourism is a key sector in Asia since it is both a popular destination and a lucrative source market.
"We, in ACD, pursue three goals, the first of which is to promote Asian tourism," he said.
He added that if inter-continental tourism flourishes, Iran will also be able to promote its various destinations among Asian nations. The second goal, according to him, is to develop human resources in Asian countries through training programs in which Iran can play a part as well.
"Our third key purpose is to foster cooperation and assist those ACD countries that are not able to improve their tourism sector on their own," he said.
Successful examples of ACD plans are Thailand and Cambodia, whose tourist numbers grew noticeably following a scheme that allowed visitors to enter both countries with a single visa, Limschoon pointed out, hoping that a similar plan could be implemented for Iran and Turkey.
ACD Pledge
He pledged that the ACD will spare no effort to help Hamedan find a place among major Asian destinations.
"Last year, we added a section on ACD's website to the attractions of Hamedan which will remain on the page even after the 2018 event is over," Limschoon said.
"The East Asian region which was once the scene of many wars such as the Vietnam War is now seeing a strong growth of tourism and we hope that the same would happen in the Middle East."
Mohammad Moheb-Khodaei, tourism deputy at Iran's Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism Organization, acknowledged Hamedan's nomination as an opportunity to add new destinations to the country.
New Destinations
"In terms of historical attractions, Iran was solely known by Shiraz and Isfahan and in terms of religious tourism it only boasted Mashhad and Qom; but today Tabriz and Hamedan have been added to this list," he said.
The official also told of strategic plans to uplift the status of Hamedan to become the top travel spot for the residents of the capital. "[At global level] the target markets of Hamedan are chiefly Iraq as it is located along the pilgrimage route to Mashhad along with Turkey due to its proximity to the northwestern regions of the country," he said.
He pointed, without providing details, to 50 events to be organized on the sidelines of the international conference.
First Vice President Es'haq Jahangiri later gave a speech and highlighted Iran's advantages that place it among the top ten countries with high potential for tourism.
"We are determined to replace our sources of revenue, especially from oil, by the tourism industry through proper plans and by drawing on the experiences of other Asian nations," he said. He announced Iran's readiness to cooperate with Asian countries in joint investment projects and share experiences.
UNWTO Session
The historical city will also host the UNWTO's 40th Plenary Session of the Affiliate Members planned for November 12 to 14. The Plenary Session will reportedly bring together over 500 travel-associated companies, educational and research institutions and NGOs from around the world.
The event presents an opportunity for collaboration between private and public entities involved in the travel industry throughout 2018 and beyond, pushing the city a step forward in tourism development.
