TEHRAN – President Hassan Rouhani on Saturday urged Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts, and Tourism Minister Ali-Asghar Mounesan to play a great part in the arenas of travel industry and crafts and to improve the status of craftspeople in terms of job creation and production.

“Now that you have taken on a new responsibility with the votes of representatives [of the parliament], strive to expand the tourism industry by assistance of the private sector and diversify handicraft products…., in such a way that the Ministry could play a great part in employment and production,” Rouhani said Mounesan in a decree, IRNA reported.

Earlier this month, the Iranian parliament (Majlis) cast vote of confidence for Mounesan as the minister of cultural heritage, handicrafts, and tourism.

The vote of confidence completed the process of the Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism Organization being converted into a long-awaited ministry.

Nearly 7.8 million tourists traveled to the country in the last fiscal year (ended March 20), showing a 52.5 percent growth compared with the preceding year.

Iran is home to hundreds of historical sites such as bazaars, museums, mosques, bridges, bathhouses, madrasas, mausoleums, churches, towers, mansions, as well as very changing natural sceneries, and above all, millions of its hospitable people.

The Islamic Republic has launched extensive plans to bolster its tourism sector. Under the 2025 Tourism Vision Plan, the country is expecting to increase the number of tourism arrivals from 4.8 million in 2014 to 20 million.

AFM/MG