TEHRAN – Iran’s tourism minister has called for a renewed approach to regional cooperation among the member states of the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO), emphasizing deeper people-to-people ties and cultural exchange as the driving force behind sustainable tourism development in the region.

Speaking at the opening of the Regional Tourism Market Symposium held from May 13 to 15 on Kish Island, Seyyed Reza Salehi-Amiri welcomed delegates, including the ECO Secretary General, ambassadors, academics, and tourism officials from the organization’s ten member states. He underscored the importance of fostering stronger connections among the region’s half-billion population through cultural and tourism collaborations.

“While intergovernmental relations are active, the real engine of integration lies in strengthening bonds among nations through shared cultural and tourism values,” Salehi-Amiri said.

He pointed to the region’s vast shared heritage, from handicrafts and natural attractions to common civilizational roots, noting that these assets provide powerful tools to enhance regional unity. The minister proposed expanded cultural dialogue among intellectuals and said Iran is prepared to host forums that promote mutual understanding among ECO member states.

In a push to increase tourism flows, Salehi-Amiri highlighted Iran’s recent visa waiver for citizens of 33 countries and urged ECO states to consider similar policies. He stressed that easing travel restrictions would significantly boost tourism exchanges and called on the ECO Secretariat and relevant authorities to facilitate visa liberalization within the bloc.

Turning attention to the host venue, Salehi-Amiri called Kish Island a future hub of regional tourism, noting its current infrastructure of 57 active hotels and 52 more under construction. He projected that within five years, the island would account for 10% of Iran’s total tourism infrastructure.

ECO is an intergovernmental regional organization encompassing countries from Europe, the Caucasus, and Central and West Asia, and South Asia with more than 460 million inhabitants and over 8 million square kilometers connecting Russia to the Persian Gulf and China to Europe. According to the organization, its overall objective is to materialize the sustainable economic development of its member states and the region as a whole.

AM