TEHRAN--Tourism and cultural heritage relations with China will be elevated to a strategic level given Iran’s cultural and historical attractions, said Minister of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts Seyyed Reza Salehi-Amiri on the sidelines of the Second General Assembly of the Asian Cultural Heritage Association (ACHA) on Wednesday.

According to the Public Relations Department of Cultural Heritage Ministry, Salehi-Amiri, who traveled to Chongqing, China, to attend the Second General Assembly of ACHA, emphasized the importance of developing cultural and tourism cooperation with China upon his arrival.

He stated: “China is one of our priorities in the three fields of cultural heritage, tourism and handicrafts. We have joint cooperation in all three areas and we must develop these cooperations.”

Referring to Iran's strategic role in ACHA, he said: “We are one of the founders of this alliance and will be actively present in the current session, which will hold both the High Council and the General Assembly simultaneously, and we will participate in its elections."

He pointed to Iran's extensive tourism capacities, adding that China currently sends 160 million tourists abroad annually and plan to increase this figure to 200 million by 2030. “Iran's share in this area has not been large so far, and we are trying to strengthen our position.”

On Iran's cultural and historical diversity and attractions, he stated: “Given these capacities, Iran can be one of the main tourist destinations for the Chinese.”

He continued that while China has an important position in the world in the field of handicrafts, Iran also produces more than 299 types out of a total of 400 global categories. Therefore, China can be one of the target export markets for Iranian handicrafts, he added.

Salehi-Amiri said: “We will meet and discuss with the ministers of tourism and culture of different countries to further develop bilateral cultural and tourism relations on the sidelines of this summit.”

Salehi-Amiri, who arrived in Chongqing at the head of an official delegation, was welcomed by Chinese officials and representatives of the Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran. 

This trip, which was made at the official invitation of the Chinese side, was welcomed by local officials, officials of the union, and diplomats of the Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran in China. 

Salehi-Amiri's two-day journey includes attending and speaking at the opening ceremony of the Second General Assembly of ACHA, as well as presenting the views of the Islamic Republic of Iran at the third meeting of the ACHA Council; a meeting that is known as one of the most important cultural heritage policymaking forums in Asia and plays a decisive role in drawing up strategies of the regional cooperation. 

During these meetings, Salehi-Amiri will explain Iran's broad approaches in the field of cultural diplomacy and cultural heritage, and emphasize the need to strengthen the cooperation of the member countries to safeguard the common Asian heritage and develop sustainable tourism.

It is also planned that Salehi-Amiri will hold bilateral meetings with the Ministers of Cultural Heritage and Tourism of member countries, including China and other Asian countries, on the sidelines of this forum; meetings that are expected to provide new platforms for expanding cultural interactions, exchanging specialized experiences, and developing heritage and tourism cooperation between Iran and the regional countries.

KD