TEHRAN— Iran-Iraq ties in cultural heritage, tourism and handicrafts fields are improving in spite of regional and international crises, Cultural Heritage, Tourism, and Handicrafts Minister Seyyed Reza Salehi-Amiri has said.

Speaking on the threshold of holding Iran-Iraq tourism roadshow, which will be held in Iraqi cities of Basra, Baghdad, and Karbala with participation of Iranian travel agencies during October 6-9, he said that plans are on the agenda to make land borders more active and facilitate pilgrimage, tourism, and health travel, ILNA reported.

The minister said: “Deepening relations between cultural heritage, tourism, and handicrafts is a priority for us, and these relations will be emphasized during this event and during the meeting with my counterpart and the activation of these ties.”

Given the international developments, including the possibility of activating the trigger mechanism, he said: “Iraq is less affected by regional crises with Iran due to its deep cultural, pilgrimage, economic, and political ties with our country, and this increases the importance of strengthening cooperation.”

On the importance of the upcoming Iran-Iraq tourism roadshow, he said that many Iraqi tourists currently visit Iran for pilgrimage and tourism purposes. 

Also, Iranians frequently travel to Iraq, he said, adding that this two-way interaction has great potential for development. 

“Within the framework of the new approach, in addition to air travel, land routes for family, pilgrimage, tourism and health tourists will be more active. Of course, borders such as Shalamcheh are currently active.”

Salehi Amiri added: “In the early October meeting with the Iraqi Minister of Tourism in Baghdad, emphasis will be placed on increasing the flow of tourists by private car to Iran and Iraq and accepting Iraqi health tourists in medical centers in the provinces of Khuzestan, Ilam, Kermanshah, West Azarbaijan and East Azarbaijan.”

He called the Iraq roadshow as an important opportunity for introducing Iran’s potentials in Iraq’s great market and said: “The Ministry of Cultural Heritage's policy is to distribute tourism opportunities fairly throughout the country, rather than focusing on just a few specific provinces.”

About 3.5 million Iraqi tourists travel to Iran annually for pilgrimage and health, and the same number of Iranians travel to Iraq mainly for the purpose of pilgrimage.

According to what the head of the Iranian Air Travel and Tourism Service Association had previously announced, an increase in the number of incoming and outgoing tourists to both Iran and Iraq is on the agenda. 

Iraq is the most important source of tourists entering Iran, and in recent years, more than half of the foreign tourists entering Iran have been Iraqis.
On the other hand, the number of Iranians traveling to Iraq, especially to the country's pilgrimage destinations, is also significant.

Currently, tourism ministers of Iran and Iraq hope to increase the level of tourist exchange by continuing policies such as establishing a tourism roadshow, creating land routes, facilitating travel by private car for citizens of the two countries, and opening new tourism routes.

KD