TEHRAN – Iranian President Seyyed Ebrahim Raisi has said his administration is planning to promote the tourism economy as one of the major priorities of the Ministry of Cultural Heritage, Tourism, and Handicrafts during his tenure, CHTN reported on Sunday.

He made the remarks in a meeting with the nomadic tribal leaders of the southwestern Khuzestan province on Friday, underlining the country’s great potential and capacities in the tourism sector.

Raisi noted that that tourism minister Ezatollah Zarghami will soon pay a visit to the province to pursue the government’s programs in this regard.

Referring to Khuzestan’s capacities for pursuing the mentioned programs, including young and educated manpower, the president stated: "Provincial managers should consider creating jobs for the province's youth and benefiting from local manpower as a priority.”

He mentioned natural resources and forests as assets of Khuzestan province and added: "Preserving these forests, which are in fact people’s resources in the region, should be also considered.”

“Oak trees, which are one of the major assets of this region and benefit the ecosystem greatly, should not be damaged; this wealth not only must be fully preserved for future generations but also developed," Raisi stressed.

The president further emphasized that provincial planning council meetings should focus on the potentials of the province to be able to identify the capacities and use them to solve the problems of the region.

Raisi traveled to Khuzestan on Friday for a one-day visit to the province.

Iran expects to reap a bonanza from its numerous tourist spots such as bazaars, museums, mosques, bridges, bathhouses, madrasas, mausoleums, churches, towers, and mansions, of which 26 being inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage list.

AFM