TEHRAN — Minister of Cultural Heritage, Tourism, and Handicrafts Seyyed Reza Salehi-Amiri has emphasized the importance of sustainable rural development, stressing that villages should remain vibrant through initiatives such as ecotourism resorts.

Speaking on the sidelines of 24th meeting of Strategic Council of Ministry of Cultural Heritage on Monday, he explained the Government's new approaches regarding the field management and balanced tourism development. “Over the past 1.5 years, the ministry's Strategic Council has been regularly formed with the presence of more than 30 elites and experts in the fields of cultural heritage, tourism, handicrafts, and social sciences. This council's mission is to identify major issues from a comprehensive perspective and provide solutions to overcome the fundamental challenges.”

Pointing to the need for direct communication with the provinces and regions of the country, he added: “One of our strategic plans is the presence of governors in meetings of the Strategic Council so that decisions can be made on basis of true understanding of local capacities and needs. Today, we hosted the governor-general of Ardabil; a province that has a distinguished position as a hub of civilization, tourism, and handicrafts in the country.” 

Emphasizing the importance of balanced development in Ardabil, Salehi-Amiri said: “Issues such as the development of residential and tourism infrastructure in Sarein, protecting the natural environment of the region, organizing the Heyran axis, and strengthening the heritage infrastructure of Ardabil were discussed in today’s meeting.”

The report shows that more than five million domestic trips are made to Ardabil annually, but the share of foreign tourists is still low and this indicator should be improved with targeted planning, he added.
The minister continued: “The policy of the Government is based on being on the scene, talking to the people, and directly observing the capacities and issues of the provinces. So far, I have made 65 provincial trips, and this process will continue. Our slogan is ‘One Province Every Week’.”

Stating that the balanced development is not possible without revitalizing the villages, he noted that the national plan ‘Every Village, One Eco-Lodge’ has been put on the agenda with the aim of keeping people in rural areas, strengthening the local jobs, preserving local culture and traditions, and attracting domestic and foreign tourists. 
Ecotourism is not only a factor in economic prosperity, but also a tool for reproducing cultural identity in the context of national development, he added.

Salehi-Amiri announced the allocation of low-interest loans worth 60,000 billion rials ($60 million) to boost rural employment and develop ecotourism, and said that based on memorandum of understanding signed with the Mostazafan Foundation, 35,000 billion rials ($35 million) of low-interest facilities have been earmarked for 17,500 small workshops and ecotourism projects, which will create more than 26,000 job opportunities. 

This plan could be the beginning of a major leap in the field of employment and staying of the population in villages, he added.

Referring to the ministry's cooperation with hotelier associations and ecotourism resorts, he stated that in line with the policy of facilitating travel, extensive discounts have been offered by the country's accommodation centers.  For example, in Mashhad, some hotels offer discounts of up to 50 percent, which is a commendable measure to encourage family trips, he added.

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