Gilgamesh
February 12th, 2007, 12:04 AM
MADRID, Spain: Vice President and Head of Iran's Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism Organization (ICHHTO) Esfandiar Rahim Mashaei, said that an Irano-European Consortium will invest $2 billion in Iran's tourism.
He told IRNA at the end of his four-day visit to Madrid that grounds have been prepared for signing the relevant agreements.
Mashaei noted that investments in tourism sector would mainly focus on establishment of infrastructures and improvement of tourist services.
"Iranian government is determined to use the country's historical and natural capacities," he added.
The ICHHTO head said that in a meeting with Spanish minister of industry, commerce and tourism, Joan Clos, agreement was reached on formation of a joint committee for implementation of memorandum of understanding (MoU) on cooperation between the two sides in the sector.
"Spanish tourist officials promised that they will share experience with Iran and declared their readiness to cooperate in promoting Iran's tourism industry.
"At Iran's proposal, a conference will be held this year to discuss tourism in Iran and ways of cooperation with Spain," he added.
Mashaei said that according to the agreement reached between the two sides, Spanish media people and owners of travel agencies will visit Iran to get an idea on the country.
Turning to his meeting with the United Nations deputy secretary general, Taleb Rafaei in Madrid, he said that the official declared World Tourist Organization's readiness to cooperate with Iran.
Besides, he said that WTO is prepared to ignore the false image of Iran in the Western media and expose this to the world public opinion.
"Meanwhile, at the meeting I expressed Iranian expectations from WTO and Spain to help eliminate the negative impacts on the public opinion created by the political ill-wishers of Iran," he added.
The vice president said that his talks with Foreign Minister Miguel Angel Moratinos were fruitful.
"In my meeting with Moratinos, issues of bilateral, regional and international concern were on the agenda and both sides underlined their readiness to expand ties," he added.
He referred to his tour to Spain's International Tourism Exhibition, dubbed 'Fitur', as one of the best part of his visit, adding that it was attended by more than 13,000 tourist companies from 170 countries.
http://www.zawya.com/Story.cfm/sidZAWYA20070210044154/SecIndustries/pagTravel%20&%20Tourism
He told IRNA at the end of his four-day visit to Madrid that grounds have been prepared for signing the relevant agreements.
Mashaei noted that investments in tourism sector would mainly focus on establishment of infrastructures and improvement of tourist services.
"Iranian government is determined to use the country's historical and natural capacities," he added.
The ICHHTO head said that in a meeting with Spanish minister of industry, commerce and tourism, Joan Clos, agreement was reached on formation of a joint committee for implementation of memorandum of understanding (MoU) on cooperation between the two sides in the sector.
"Spanish tourist officials promised that they will share experience with Iran and declared their readiness to cooperate in promoting Iran's tourism industry.
"At Iran's proposal, a conference will be held this year to discuss tourism in Iran and ways of cooperation with Spain," he added.
Mashaei said that according to the agreement reached between the two sides, Spanish media people and owners of travel agencies will visit Iran to get an idea on the country.
Turning to his meeting with the United Nations deputy secretary general, Taleb Rafaei in Madrid, he said that the official declared World Tourist Organization's readiness to cooperate with Iran.
Besides, he said that WTO is prepared to ignore the false image of Iran in the Western media and expose this to the world public opinion.
"Meanwhile, at the meeting I expressed Iranian expectations from WTO and Spain to help eliminate the negative impacts on the public opinion created by the political ill-wishers of Iran," he added.
The vice president said that his talks with Foreign Minister Miguel Angel Moratinos were fruitful.
"In my meeting with Moratinos, issues of bilateral, regional and international concern were on the agenda and both sides underlined their readiness to expand ties," he added.
He referred to his tour to Spain's International Tourism Exhibition, dubbed 'Fitur', as one of the best part of his visit, adding that it was attended by more than 13,000 tourist companies from 170 countries.
http://www.zawya.com/Story.cfm/sidZAWYA20070210044154/SecIndustries/pagTravel%20&%20Tourism