TEHRAN - In a move to address weaknesses in health tourism structures, the head of the Health Tourism Council has announced the establishment of a dedicated task force within the Office of the Iranian President.

According to Iranian media, this development unfolded during the second National Symposium on Tourism and Green Investment, which included a panel on the future of health tourism in Iran. The event, held on the sidelines of the 17th Tehran International Tourism and Related Industries Exhibition, brought together influential figures such as Soheil Dadkhah, the head of the Business Development Foundation at the University of Science and Culture, Diako Abbasi, the head of the Health Tourism Council at the Ministry of Cultural Heritage, Tourism, and Handicrafts, and Parisa Nasiri, a researcher and health tourism guide.

Parisa Nasiri, the panel's secretary, underscored the undeniable role of health tourism in spurring growth across various sectors crucial to the country's development. While acknowledging recent effective actions, Nasiri pointed out the absence of a comprehensive plan in the national policy agenda, hindering Iran from fully capitalizing on its health tourism potential. The focus of this session, with the participation of university professors and relevant officials, was directed toward shaping the future of health tourism in Iran.

The central theme, as stated by Nasiri, centered around the 'Introduction and Evaluation of Factors Influencing the Development of Health Tourism in Iran.' Each speaker was invited to share perspectives from the standpoint of responsible authorities and the university.

Soheil Dadkhah outlined a realistic scenario for the gradual growth of Iran's health tourism industry, given current situations such as sanctions. He highlighted the need to focus on regional markets, especially neighboring countries, aligning development strategies with the relative advantages of each province. Dadkhah expressed optimism about universities playing a crucial role in planning for both public and private sectors, contributing to growth and prosperity in the industry. 

Diako Abbasi detailed the goals, planning, and future initiatives of the Health Tourism Council, emphasizing the untapped opportunity within Iran's health tourism sector. Acknowledging existing structural weaknesses as the cause of underutilization, Abbasi announced the formation of a special task force within the Office of the President for health tourism. Top priorities include strengthening associations related to health tourism.

In response to a question about facilitating the entry of health tourists and advancing the industry, Abbasi underscored the significance of recent visa cancellations with certain countries. Ongoing efforts aim to enhance support measures for further development.

Health attachés to be stationed at Iranian embassies to attract tourists: health minister

Behram Eynollahi, the Iranian Health Minister also visited the 17th Tehran International Tourism and Related Industries Exhibition on February 14, revealing plans to station health attachés at Iranian embassies, aiming to streamline and attract health tourists from diverse countries.

During his visit, Eynollahi engaged in discussions with health tourism activists and exhibition participants.

Eynollahi shared the news of over one million and 200 thousand health tourists entering the country in the first ten months of the current year, noting, "Health tourists seek treatment in Iran from 60 different countries."

The minister emphasized, "The responsibility for health tourism now rests with embassies, where health attachés will oversee these matters."

He confirmed, "The inaugural health attaché will be stationed at the Iranian Embassy in Baghdad next week."

Eynollahi underscored the thirteenth government's dedication to health tourism, stating, "The number of health tourism centers has more than doubled from 130 to 280 during the thirteenth government's efforts."

The 17th Iran International Tourism and Related Industries Exhibition 2024 kicked off at the Tehran International Permanent Fairground on February 12. This three-day-long exhibition is considered Iran's premier tourism industry event and seeks to not only showcase the tourism potential of the Iranian capital but also extend a warm welcome to enthusiasts and professionals in the field of tourism.