TEHRAN — Iran will take part in the Guangzhou International Travel Fair (CITIE 2025) in China from Sept. 12 to 14 to showcase its tourism potential internationally, a senior official said on Wednesday.

Moslem Shojaei, director general of foreign tourism marketing and development at the Ministry of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts, said international tourism fairs are key marketing tools that allow countries to present attractions directly to foreign visitors and industry professionals, while creating opportunities for negotiations, networking and cooperation between public and private sectors.

He said attracting Chinese tourists is a priority for Iran’s tourism development strategy. “Purposeful participation in such exhibitions is considered a strategic necessity,” Shojaei said, noting that Iran’s presence will be organized by the ministry’s tourism department with support from the Touring and Automobile Club of the Islamic Republic of Iran.

The Guangzhou fair, held in Guangdong province, is regarded as one of East Asia’s most significant tourism exhibitions. Shojaei said Guangdong, due to its large economy and population, is one of China’s main sources of outbound tourism and a strategic gateway to the wider southern Chinese market.

Iran’s pavilion is set to combine tourism promotion with cultural programming.

According to the official, planned activities include meetings between Iranian and Chinese tour operators, consultations with the Iranian consul general in Guangzhou and Chinese officials, Iranology workshops, handicraft demonstrations, displays of traditional Iranian clothing with the participation of Iranian students in China, screenings of promotional films in Chinese, and distribution of advertising material.

Shojaei said Chinese bloggers and major media outlets have been invited to cover Iran’s pavilion to increase outreach. He added that the initiative provides an opportunity to strengthen Iran’s tourism brand among Chinese audiences.

In 2019, the Iranian government unilaterally waived the visa requirement for Chinese nationals willing to visit the country. The decision was made to attract more foreign tourists to the ancient country.

AM