The strategy of tourism advertising needs to be improved in Iran, tourism minister Ali-Asghar Mounesan said on Saturday, adding that the country should spend more amount of money on it like what it does in other sectors such as the industry and agriculture.
With the current budget allocated to this sector, not much can be done, especially in the international arena, ISNA quoted Mounesan as saying.
While other countries such as Turkey have achieved good results with advertising without any restrictions on tourism, those Iranian officials and people who have resources consider advertising a waste of money, rather than an investment, he added.
This view needs to be corrected as the budget allocated by the government to this sector is very limited, and tourism advertising is not the government’s priority yet, he explained.
Referring to the measures taken by the tourism ministry such as producing and preparing various contents and brochures in this regard, he noted that the ministry tries to make significant use of cyberspace to introduce the country to the world.
To pursue the ministry’s goals, other platforms such as YouTube have taken into account as well, he added.
He also noted that familiarization tours between Iran and China, besides the advertisements on cyberspace, have been effective on the number of inbound tourists to the country.
Before the coronavirus pandemic puts everything on a halt, similar actions taken by the tourism ministry in Oman led to a 350 percent increase in the number of Omani tourists visiting Iran, Mounesan said.
Advertising is one of the most important factors that help the tourism industry to generate tourists from both the local and international marketplace. The tourism sector is responsible for promoting the natural resources, culture, and heritage that help every visitor in experiencing the destination. Tourism advertising helps the visitor to get familiar with the place even before visiting it personally.
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 24 being inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage list. Under the 2025 Tourism Vision Plan, it aims to increase the number of tourist arrivals from 4.8 million in 2014 to 20 million in 2025. So it will undeniably try its best to achieve a relatively ambitious goal but when that happens the travel industry is likely to look more altered.
Persian
