TEHRAN – The UN World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) Secretary-General Francesco Frangialli, has invited Iran to take part in an international conference entitled “Tourism and Religion” which is to take place with the cooperation of the Spanish government this October.

The conference will be held in the ancient city of Cordoba and it will focus on the themes of tourism, religion and dialogue between civilizations. Frangialli invited the Cultural Heritage, Tourism, and Handicrafts Organization’s (CHTHO) Director Esfandiar Rahim-Mashaii to attend the conference and expound Iranian ideas on the topic of tourism and religion at the world summit. The United Nations has set 2007 as ‘a critical year’ in which to consolidate world tourism in order that it can play a key part in the fight against poverty and become a primary tool for sustainable development