TEHRAN - Iran is currently staging a roadshow in India as part of a series of promotional roadshows to attract tourists, and strengthen tourism ties with foreign countries.

The roadshow takes place from September 10 to 14, with presence of Ali-Asghar Shalbafian, the Iranian deputy tourism minister, in three major Indian cities: Mumbai, Hyderabad, and New Delhi, as CHTN reported on Tuesday.

The event aims to highlight Iran’s tourism potential and will feature the participation of key private sector players from Iran’s outbound travel agencies, along with government officials from both countries, the report added.

As part of Iran’s marketing efforts, led by the deputy of tourism at the Ministry of Cultural Heritage, Tourism, and Handicrafts, the roadshow aims to achieve several key objectives, including promoting a positive image of Iran by highlighting its cultural, historical, and natural diversity, increasing the number of international tourists, creating new business opportunities, and introducing new destinations and attractions.

As revealed by the roadshow organizers, one of the main focuses of the event will be facilitating direct interaction between the tourism professionals of the two countries through B2B meetings. These sessions aim to establish direct, face-to-face contact between the tourism sectors of both nations to facilitate practical tourism exchanges.

In addition to fostering ties between tourism professionals, the event also offers a platform for identifying and collaborating with new business partners, such as tour operators, airlines, social media influencers, and other stakeholders in the tourism industry.

This approach aims to create a network of international partners and open new avenues for future cooperation. It is expected that over 100 tourism companies and professionals will participate in each city during the event.

India, with a population of over 1.4 billion, recently surpassed China to become the world’s most populous country. As such, the Indian tourism market holds significant importance for Iran, given its substantial number of potential travelers.

Additionally, India’s growing middle class and rising per capita incomes make it one of the world’s largest sources of outbound tourists, who increasingly seek new cultural experiences and international destinations.

New Delhi, with its vast and influential population, Hyderabad, known for its rich cultural heritage, and Mumbai, as India’s economic hub, all provide unique opportunities for promoting Iranian tourism.

Furthermore, cultural and ethnic ties between the two nations offer another advantage for Iran’s tourism sector, underscoring the importance of this roadshow in India.

The roadshow builds on previous events held in Southeast Asian countries such as Malaysia, Indonesia, and Vietnam, from June 29 to July 6.

XF/AM