New Report Shows Value of IP to the Tourism Sector

A new report published jointly by WIPO and the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) on the value of intellectual property in boosting tourism shows how the IP system creates a favorable ecosystem for innovation, entrepreneurship and investment in the sector. The publication, entitled “Boosting Tourism Development through Intellectual Property,” highlights good practices, features case studies and recommendations for policymakers and other tourism stakeholders on how to ensure that creativity, innovation, traditions and cultural heritage in tourism are properly protected and commercialized and that the benefits are shared by all. In a joint Foreword, WIPO Director General Daren Tang and UNWTO Secretary General Zurab Pololikashvili, predict that while the tourism sector has taken a hit during the COVID-19 pandemic, it will recover and “contribute to reigniting hard-hit economies and societies thanks to its capacity to adapt to changes and offer innovative solutions to new challenges.” “In this context, IP rights are powerful tools that can be used to boost tourism development and competitiveness. The IP system is designed to promote creativity and innovation and support efforts by individuals, businesses and other actors to differentiate themselves and their products and services in the marketplace, whether through trademarks, geographical indications, copyrights or patents,” they added. The publication provides practical guidance for non-IP specialists on how to include IP in tourism product development – from destination branding to tourism policies. It shows how different IP rights can be leveraged to raise funds. And it showcases successful experiences and demonstrates how stakeholders around the globe are using IP rights to add value to tourism services and products, as well as to protect and promote local knowledge, traditions and cultural heritage. Through examples of producing cheese, tea, pepper, wine or other products, the publication shows how geographical indications and appellations of origin can be used to support the growth of rural tourism and provide benefits to local communities. To leverage the full potential of the IP system, the report recommends inclusion of IP strategies in national tourism plans and tourism policy strategy for regional and local destinations. Not only does good IP knowledge and management help to make use of the protected intangibles, but it also attracts investments and leverages fundraising opportunities. Finally, tourism authorities are encouraged to raise awareness among tourism and destinations stakeholders on the importance of appropriate IP knowledge and management to foster the sector’s growth  in these challenging times.

400 beds to be added to accommodation capacity of Yazd

A total of 400 beds is expected to be added to the accommodation capacity of the touristic Yazd province, a local official announced on Wednesday. Ten tourism projects, which are composed of hotels and other lodging centers, are under construction across Yazd province, the official said. “Construction work has been finished on two of the projects, and the rest are complete by 70 to 90 percent.” “200 [hotel] rooms and 400 beds will be added to the accommodation capacity of Yazd when the projects come on stream,” the official said. The central province is usually referred to as a delightful place to stay, or a “don't miss” destination by almost all of its visitors. The city is home to thousands of mudbrick houses that are equipped with innovative badgirs (wind catchers), atmospheric alleyways, and many Islamic and Iranian monuments that shape its eye-catching city landscape. In July 2017, the historical structure of the capital city of Yazd was named a UNESCO World Heritage. Wedged between the northern Dasht-e Kavir and the southern Dasht-e Lut on a flat plain, the oasis city enjoys a very harmonious public-religious architecture that dates from different eras. Yazd is known today for its traditional districts, the qanat system, traditional houses, bazaars, hammams, water cisterns, mosques, synagogues, Zoroastrian temples, and the historic garden of Dolat-Abad. The city enjoys the peaceful coexistence of three religions: Islam, Judaism, and Zoroastrianism. Yazd Jameh Mosque, Dowlatabad Garden, the Yazd Atash Behram, also known as Atashkadeh-e Yazd, Towers of Silence, and adjacent desert landscape are among its tourist sites.

Malaysia Airlines says all A380s will be retired

Malaysia Airlines has become the latest airline to sound the death-knell for the Airbus A380, with confirmation today that all six of its superjumbos would be retired over the coming months. "We are cognizant of the challenges to sell this aeroplane, but we are still looking at ways and means to dispose of our 380 fleet," CEO Izham Ismail said in an online press briefing on Tuesday. "At the moment, the management is convinced that the 380 doesn't fit the future plan." That plan will however see the Malaysian flag-carrier and Oneworld member restart the delivery schedule for its Boeing 737 MAX jets from 2024, although Ismail added "we are also exploring the possibility of taking it earlier."Malaysia Airlines aims to have 83 aircraft in total by 2025, with the beleaguered carrier aiming to break even in 2023, in line with a full recovery of demand for air travel. Malaysia Airlines was among Airbus' final customers to sign up for the superjumbo, taking its first delivery in 2012 – the last, which arrived in  2013, was the 100th A380 produced. The A380's sported eight open first class suites (later rebranded as business suites) at the front of the lower deck, with 66 business class seats (in an outdated 2-2-2 layout) on the upper deck and 420 economy seats spread across both decks, with children under 12 controversially banned from the small upper-deck economy cabin.The viability of the airline's A380 was often called into question, and at various stages over recent years Malaysia Airlines has considered measures such as selling off the double-decker jets or spinning them out into a seperate airline which would charter the A380s to bring Muslims across south-east Asian on the Hajj and Umrah pilgrimages to Saudi Arabia. "The aim is to establish an air transport system and infrastructure dedicated for Hajj and Umrah for Muslims not just from these three countries but also other ASEAN countries" Ismail remarked in February 2019, adding that the new airline would be called Amal. Less than two weeks ago, Etihad Airways CEO Tony Douglas announced the Gulf carrier would keep its ten Airbus A380s grounded "indefinitely", admitting the superjumbos – adorned with the extravagant three-room Residence suite and nine spacious first class Apartments –  were "a wonderful product, but they are no longer commercially sustainable."(Douglas also dropped the bombshell that Etihad would axe its entire Boeing 777-300ER fleet, charting a future with the fuel-efficient Boeing 787 Dreamliner and Airbus A350 to become a smaller and more streamlined 'boutique' operation.) Air France and Lufthansa have also called an end to the Airbus A380; Qatar Airways will retire five of its ten A380s, but the fate of the remaining A380s remains in limbo. However, Qantas and British Airways both intend to bring their 12-strong A380 fleets back as demand for international travel rebounds. "We think we will reactivate all of the A380s," Qantas CEO Alan Joyce forecast last month, although he doesn't expect they'll all return to the skies until demand for international travel reaches 2019 levels "in 2024." British Airways' CEO Sean Doyle is of a similar mind, remarking in March 2021 that the A380 "is in our plans for the future rebuild of the airline – although he allowed that "exactly when we will put the A380 back into service is something that we’re not clear on." As for A380 champion Emirates, airline president Sir Tim Clark believes there's plenty of life left in those superjumbos. "The A380, of which we have 118 at the moment and five more on delivery, will continue in the plan until the mid '30s," Clark predicts, at which point they'll be fully replaced by the Boeing 777X. By the end of this decade and the beginning of the next, Emirates' heavy-duty fleet strategy will involve "using the A380s on the trunk routes, barreling through from east to west and north to south... with the 777X gradually slipping in to replace the A380s that eventually retire."

In a World of Mobile Lifestyles and Remote Working, What Role Will Hotels Play

At a time when many of the world’s events continue to be plagued by COVID-19, making plans even a week in advance may seem difficult, much less 10 years into the future. Nearly overnight, the dialogue shifted from “where to for lunch?” to “can you hear me?”. And as hotels emptied out and travel restrictions drag on, many may wonder, where lies the future of hotels? To answer this question, it is first important to recognize that the hotel sector does not exist as an individual silo, but one which forms part of a much wider network: the ecosystem of how we live and work. The cities in which we live today are a reflection of how humans have shaped our environments to fit our social and economic needs. For generations, urban agglomeration had been the standard of cities, and central business districts (CBDs) thrived as we commuted between living in one area and working in another. Accordingly, hotels have typically focused on serving transient international or regional visitors, primarily playing one of two roles: a place to sleep and meet during our business travels, or a place of respite for our leisure getaways. Today, rising interest in (semi-) permanent remote working and a greater desire to live outside of high-density urban areas may signal yet another impending change in the way we live and work. Could deurbanization or decentralization continue on this trajectory – and what would that mean for hotels? In a Cushman & Wakefield webinar, Richard Pickering, Chief Strategy Officer, EMEA and Borivoj Vokrinek, Strategic Advisory and Head of Hospitality Research EMEA from Cushman & Wakefield, traced the paths of how our societies and hotels have evolved, from their very beginnings to where they could be in the future. Blast from the past: The evolution of travel, from immobile to transient lifestyles Since the early days of civilization, the structure of our society has dictated where we lay our heads every night. When humans lived in self-sufficient tribes and settlements, there was no need to travel or sleep anywhere other than in our own beds; while as society progressed, business travel dominated as merchants travelled for trade. And then, with higher disposable incomes, more free time, rising globalization and the internationalisation of trade, there came the birth of mass leisure and business travel. Clearly, humans have become increasingly mobile – and the advancement of technology will only continue to push us towards this trend. Similarly, the role of accommodation providers has also evolved immensely with our changing social and technological landscape. From being a place for shelter and food to becoming a place to meet and then emerging as a provider of experiences, hotels have always evolved alongside our society and the cities in which we live. In today’s context, our ‘social awakening’ has brought rising calls for better work-life balance and a heightened desire to travel and ‘unwind’. To perpetuate this image, hotels have taken on an additional role: a promoter of one’s social status, driven by the growing prevalence of social media. Yet, this evolution will not end there – with our growing mobility, the role of hotels will only continue to expand to meet our transient needs. “There’s no virtual pivot for hotels,” Pickering emphasized. As our society and cities continue to evolve, so will hotels. ‘The variable impact (of COVID-19) on different sectors’ – C&W Webinar Part 1 of 2: Evolution of our cities and what it means for real estate, presented by Richard Pickering. Note: The relative positionings are for illustration purposes only. Swimming against the current – the rise of remote working Our cities of today, however, have been far from perfect, in fact, some may even argue that urbanisation in the developed world has become a myth. “In city centres, centralized demand, when combined with scarce supplies, pushes up rents for businesses as well as housing costs. [Meanwhile,] increasing city sizes means increasing commute times, which reduces free time and worsens pollution – all while our creaking infrastructure amplifies the penalties of distance,” Pickering suggested. It is unsurprising, therefore, to see an increasing number of digital nomads who choose to forego homeownership entirely to traverse the world in search of the much-revered triple-threat ‘office spaces’: stable Wi-Fi, multiple charging points and good coffee. In fact, as Global Workplace Analytics estimates that 25-30% of the workforce will telecommute multiple days a week by the end of 2021, some argue that ‘working from home’ may eventually become ‘work from anywhere’. And with a number of hotels already offering ‘work from hotel’ packages or even subscription services, it is evident that hotels are well-placed to capitalize on this trend. Forward to the future: Super-commuters in a decentralized world. As the idea of remote working with occasional commutes to the workplace gains wider acceptance from both employers and employees, it seems that we are at the tipping point of a new emerging trend: super-commuting. Super-commuters live in one city or country while their office is in another, commuting between the two from time to time – and this will have implications for hotels. “In the future, if more of the workforce is living in remote areas, it is actually likely that they will use hotel accommodation more frequently [for the days that they do travel to the office],” Vokrinek explained. Importantly, increased remote working does not mean a lesser need for meetings and social interactions – rather, the contrary is most likely true. “Not only will employees be living further away and have fewer interactions amongst each other, but clients will also be living outside of cities. So, there would be a need for more structured [and deliberate] meetings, not only on an international scale, but locally and regionally as well – and that will drive demand for meeting facilities in hotels,” Vokrinek suggested. In fact, not only will the role of hotels evolve, but there will likely be a greater need for hotels in the smaller communities that will form in these areas where such super-commuters will typically work from. “Historically, those towns and places were probably mostly residential, with limited [interest from investors] and limited amenities. However, if people will be living in those local hubs on a regular basis and commute less to the central core office, there will be a need for amenities in those local hubs and this will include hotels. Of course, the demand will be softer, so the hotels will probably be smaller. They will need to be more flexible; most likely a hybrid concept within mixed-use developments, [but there will be a need for them”] explained Vokrinek. ‘Hotels within a new eco-system of workspaces’ – C&W Webinar Part 2 of 2: The role of hotels as cities evolve, presented by Borivoj Vokrinek. The who and the why? Towards a new kind of work-life balance Although the notion of such super-commuters forming a considerable proportion of our workforce seems to lie somewhere in the distant future, with the prevalence of low-cost airlines and the advancements of technology, experts speculated, as early as 2014, that there could already be hundreds of thousands of super-commuters worldwide. This decentralization of the workplace is likely to pick up not only because of our increased mobility and higher level of comfort with remote working, but also due to the attractive benefits it may bring to both employees and employers. As Pickering explained, “In a digitally enabled world where distance no longer matters, […] I see a real opportunity for employees to derive labour arbitrage and live a better life” – even taking a small pay cut from a London salary to work from the Greek island of Kefalonia could be well worth the trade-off”. On the flip side, employers may also realize that sourcing the best (and/or cheaper) talent will no longer be bound by geographical borders. And with higher pressure on costs, especially in the short-term, employers too may find themselves increasingly attracted to the lure of allowing super-commuting. The shift, not death of business travel Many soothsayers have begun lamenting the death of business travel, citing the rise of video conferencing and growing realization that not all meetings call for an 8-hour flight and 2-hour layover. However, while the increased usage of video conferencing will undeniably replace some business travel, especially in the short-term, it would be hasty to presume that this would necessarily lead to a significant decline in business travel in the long-term. Rather, as we become increasingly accustomed to living a mobile lifestyle and working remotely, this emerging form of business travel will likely broaden the opportunities for hotels, through catering to the needs of a more decentralized workforce and their clientele. As Vokrinek further suggested, “Some part of the demand will become more regular and predictable, and this will open opportunities for more membership or subscription concepts and increase the importance of loyalty programmes.” Despite the short-term challenges faced by the hotel industry, it is evident that the role of hotels has constantly expanded to meet the new needs of the times – and there is no reason to assume that this time will be any different. Our society is undoubtedly becoming ever more transient, spending more time outside of our homes. But even then, we will still need places to eat, sleep, work and relax. With the rise of remote working, we will likely crave physical interactions and seek places to meet with others more than ever before. Therefore, while the current pandemic has had an indescribable impact on the hotel sector, its long-term implication is that it has catalysed the evolution of how and where we live and work, with hotels destined to play a much bigger role in our increasingly mobile lifestyles and new work ecosystems.

SpaceX Successfully Launches and Lands Newest Starship SN15 Prototype Rocket

The SpaceX Starship SN15 prototype rocket lifted off at 6:24 PM EDT and performed a belly-flop before managing a soft landing, with just a fire at the bottom of the spacecraft caused by the methane fuel it uses. This marks the first successful landing after four previous prototypes ending in explosions. SpaceX will use the data gathered from these prototypes to develop a much larger Starship that will one day transport humans to the Moon, Mars and beyond. To prevent the explosions of its predecessors, the SpaceX team upgraded several parts, including the rocket hardware, communication / navigation systems, software and the Raptor engines. This fully reusable, two‑stage‑to‑orbit super heavy‑lift launch vehicle is comprised of a booster stage named Super Heavy, and a second stage, also called “Starship.” The second stage will be designated as a long‑duration cargo and passenger‑carrying spacecraft. On long-duration trips, Starship will serve as both the second stage and the in‑space long‑duration orbital spaceship.

Aemilia Hotel Deploys BeyondTV GuestCast to Cater to Latest Demands in Contactless Guestroom Entertainment

BeyondTV (BTV), a full-service provider of guestroom entertainment services and solutions for the hospitality industry, has announced the successful implementation of its BeyondTV GuestCast streaming solution at the Aemilia Hotel in Bologna, Italy. Installed by LB Sistemi, one of the first LG Business Solutions vendors to receive BeyondTV dealer Certification in the region, BeyondTV GuestCast will ensure that the Aemilia Hotel can securely meet growing industry demands for personalized in-room entertainment. A new 125-room property situated in the heart of Bologna, Aemilia Hotel seeks to provide its guests with the latest in modern amenities and comforts, with guestroom entertainment being no exception. By leveraging BeyondTV’s Certification Program which provides Italian hotels with straightforward access to the company’s technology via LG Business Solutions, Aemilia Hotel can now offer instant compatibility with thousands of mobile-based streaming apps. Engineered specifically to address the unique needs of the hospitality industry, BeyondTV GuestCast significantly allows guests to cast virtually any content of preference from personal devices onto guestroom televisions without ever requesting personal login information. The platform is also designed to be fully compatible with existing hotel television and Wi-Fi network hardware, eliminating the need for complex integrations or equipment replacement. “In the current market environment, it is more important than ever for hotels to enhance their competitiveness by adopting technologies that can safely address guest expectations for personalized experiences,” said Luca Bibolini, General Manager at Aemilia Hotel. “As a modern 4-star hotel, we were committed to identifying the industry’s leading platform for personalized in-room entertainment, with BeyondTV GuestCast offering precisely the kind of flexible functionality, ease-of-use and enhanced security that today’s guests expect.” In addition to sidestepping the need for guests to enter-in sensitive login information, BeyondTV GuestCast also utilizes advanced device isolation capabilities to prevent cross-room communication. This feature significantly prevents both the inadvertent and malicious casting of content to televisions located in other rooms, and serves as yet another vital layer of protecting guest privacy. BeyondTV GuesCast is also backed by 24/7 support services that can swiftly address any suddenly arising performance issues before they can negatively impact hotel stay experiences.

NOUN Hotel Breaks Ground in Norman, Oklahoma

Managing partner Scott Lambert is pleased to announce NOUN Hotel, a premiere four-story boutique hotel, has broken ground and is expected to welcome its first guests in summer 2022. Located in downtown Norman at 542 South University Boulevard on Campus Corner next to the University of Oklahoma, NOUN Hotel will feature 92 modern guest rooms, including two luxurious 900-square-foot suites, a signature restaurant and bar, an intimate speakeasy bar, a banquet room for up to 150, boardroom, an outdoor/indoor bar, and on-site parking. NOUN Hotel will be managed by Lambert, who will drive the hotel’s development, implementation, and execution. Lambert said, “This is something that the community and the University of Oklahoma have wanted for years, so this is an exciting time for us and the city. We look forward to providing our guests with the highest level of service and hospitality in true Oklahoma fashion.” Designed by GH2 Architects, NOUN Hotel’s exterior elements will include a classic, timeless look that reflects the architecture of Norman and the University of Oklahoma. As guests enter the hotel on the first floor, they will be drawn in by the hotel’s spacious lobby with 15-foot ceilings, high-end lighting and a 3,000-square-foot upscale restaurant and bar with a plaza area offering scenic views of University Boulevard as well as a room for private dinners and meetings. Outdoor and indoor seating will be available, including a patio bar with a fire pit and water feature that will serve the restaurant and lobby area. NOUN Hotel guest rooms will emphasize comfort featuring soft neutral tones and clean, modern lines. The second floor will include a 3,000-square-foot indoor/outdoor covered bar featuring a stylish and contemporary bar overlooking the University of Oklahoma and Campus Center where guests can take advantage of beautiful Oklahoma sunsets. The bar will offer limited food service and handcrafted cocktails. The food and beverage program will be supported by Hal Smith Restaurants. In addition to dining and guest rooms, the hotel will feature multiple meeting spaces, including a 150-person banquet room and a hotel boardroom that seats 25 people. With a flexible, connected layout, the space can accommodate intimate business meetings and a range of special events or private parties.

Persepolis restorers start work on Seljuk-era inscription

A team of cultural heritage restorers from the UNESCO-registered Persepolis has commenced work on a Seljuk-era (1037–1194) inscription, which is located in Khorramabad, the capital of Lorestan province. "The lack of adequate restoration and protection caused further erosion and destruction of this historical monument," Mehr quoted Seyyed Amin Qasemi, the provincial tourism chief, as saying on Monday. "Considering the sensitivity of the restoration of stone monuments, a specialized team of Persepolis restorers was invited to inspect the inscription and develop their proposal." The inscription has written on a large stone with a height of 3.5 meters in Kufic, which is a type of Arabic script. The Seljuk engraving is the symbol of the rich culture of people in this region. The main topic of the inscription is about cutting taxes, feeding livestock on the Shapur I pastures, and forbid some unpleasant customs. The principal purpose of carving the Seljuk inscription was the association of government with the people about informing the new rules. The place of this inscription has selected so that each caravan that was coming from the Iranian plateau could perceive the inscription. Seljuk, also spelled, Seljuq, was a ruling military family of the Oguz (Ghuzz) Turkic tribes that invaded southwestern Asia in the 11th century and eventually founded an empire that included Mesopotamia, Syria, Palestine, and most of Iran. Their advance marked the beginning of Turkish power in the Middle East. Soaked in history and culture, Lorestan is one of the lesser-known travel destinations in Iran, which mainly acts as a gateway to the sweltering plains below in adjoining Khuzestan province. Most travelers just pass through on their way to the UNESCO sites of Susa, Tchogha Zanbil, and Shushtar Historical Hydraulic System. Lorestan is also a region of raw beauty that an avid nature lover could spend weeks exploring. Lorestan was inhabited by Iranian Indo-European peoples, including the Medes, c. 1000 BC. Cimmerians and Scythians intermittently ruled the region from about 700 to 625 BC. Lorestan was incorporated into the growing Achaemenid Empire in about 540 BC and successively was part of the Seleucid, Parthian, and Sasanid dynasties.

The world’s tallest hotel, Dubai’s Ciel Tower

The world’s tallest hotel, Dubai’s Ciel Tower

The skyline of Dubai is likely to be adorned with Yahya Jan’s creative work. He is president and design director of architectural and engineering firm NORR, responsible for some of the city’s most recognizable landmarks, including the Infinity and Atlantis Hotels. Now he is working on his most ambitious project, due for completion in 2023. The Ciel Tower will be home to more than 1,000 hotel rooms and suites and rise more than 1,200 feet (365 meters) above ground. For the project, Jan was tasked with designing the skyscraper on a triangular plot of land at Dubai Marina with an area of just 2,500 square meters — small for a building of that height. “It’s a property that’s very compressed. It’s like what you would face in Manhattan or London. The constraints were tremendous, and yet we had to make it work.” Yaya says. An observation deck that offers 360-degree views of Dubai and iconic landmarks such as the Palm Jumeirah will be built according to the First Group developer. From the restaurant and rooftop pool, visitors will be able to catch a glimpse of the city. Jan said the project appeals to the senses and is energy efficient, using 25% less energy for air conditioning than typical similar buildings. “This project is not just about architecture. It’s about architecture and engineering coming together. That’s why I love the project so much. It … is my passion, the convergence of science and art,” Yaya added. Twelve floors have been completed, but Jan said he remains “extremely involved” in work even this far into the build. “When you design a project as complex as the Ciel, you can never let your guard down, and you can never say it’s over,” he said. “It’s a continuous process.” Originally from Karachi in Pakistan, Yaya moved to the US when he was 18 on a scholarship and studied structural engineering at Princeton. He then did an MS in architecture. For the next nine years, Jan worked in the US and wasn’t planning to leave until he was offered a job as a senior designer for the Emirates Towers complex. The 57-year-old architect said he never imagined he would stay in Dubai for so long. “It’s been an amazing 25 years living here,” he said. As for the Ciel Tower — which is named for the French word for the sky — Jan hopes the building will be considered timeless, just like the Empire State Building or the Chrysler Building in New York City. “The reason I like the fact that it’s called Ciel is that I believe in our own lives the sky is the limit, and that’s the case certainly in my own life. I’ve had a chance to grow, to do things that I didn’t think I would get a chance to do. So it’s been amazing.” HE said.

Tehran, Rome discuss ways to expand tourism

Iranian Cultural Heritage, Tourism, and Handicrafts Minister Ali-Asghar Mounesan and Giuseppe Perrone, the Italian Ambassador to Iran, discussed ways to expand tourism and cultural ties on Monday.  Iran’s tourism sector achieved growth despite the adverse effects of the U.S. sanctions and the country tried to minimize the effects of the sanctions, Mounesan said. Given the positive trend of the ongoing negotiations, good opportunities will be provided to strengthen Iran’s cooperation with various countries, he added. The minister also announced Iran’s readiness to hold a joint handicrafts exhibition in Iran and Italy.  Perrone, for his part, said that Iran enjoys enormous tourist attractions, which could be a good opportunity for tourism prosperity and cultural cooperation with different countries.  Pointing to the joint archeological projects, carried out by Iranian ad Italian experts over the past decades, he asked for more strong cooperation in this field.  In 2019, the two nations celebrated 60 years of joint missions in the field of archaeology. Tehran and Rome have enhanced cooperation over the past couple of decades, with the arenas of archaeology and cultural heritage at the topmost level. In an exclusive interview with the Tehran Times in August 2020, Perrone said: “Archaeology is certainly an area for us that is extremely important because it tells the world how our countries are heirs to ancient civilizations and this extremely important because it is part of identity, it’s part of who we are, and it helps us to better connect with one another.” “And I think because our cultural ties are so deep and so complete in every area, that we do have a responsibility to showcase this richness and to tell people the story of this important connection that has always existed between Italy and Iran in different areas so we look forward to our future projects which are going to be quite amazing,” he stated. Tens of Italian archaeologists have worked with their Iranian fellows to ace important discoveries. Their cooperation can be classified into four major lines of Joint mission in Fars province, Archaeological project in Shahr-e-Soukhteh, Sapienza University in Kermanshah project, and Expedition in Khuzestan. 

Spa tourism to take off the ground in Ilam

The tourism infrastructure of the natural spa region in Dehloran, the western province of Ilam is planned to be developed, the provincial tourism chief has said.  A budget of five billion rials (about $120,000 at the official exchange rate of 42,000 rials per dollar) has been allocated to the project, Abdolmalek Shanbehzadeh announced on Saturday.  With numerous hot mineral springs, this region could become a tourism hub in the country, the official added.  Organizing, flooring, and lightening have been carried out so far in the area in close collaboration with the private sector, he explained.  The Dehloran plain is best known for the excavations conducted at several prehistoric sites, which elucidated the origins and development of sedentary agricultural villages and towns in the region, and for surveys documenting the history of settlement into the modern era.  As a relatively small and remote rural area, it has always been affected by political, economic, and technological developments in the adjacent regions of Khuzestan, the Zagros Mountains, and Mesopotamia. Beginning as early as the 3rd millennium BC and throughout its subsequent history, it was under the political control of kingdoms in one or another of these regions according to Iranica Encyclopedia. Although no cuneiform texts have been found at any of the Dehloran sites, the most prominent mound, Tepe Musiyan, is possible to be identified as ancient Urua, an Elamite city known from Mesopotamian texts. Dehloran has been on a trade route linking the Zagros Mountains with Mesopotamia; in the 1st millennium, the route linking the Achaemenid capitals of Susa and Ecbatana passed through the region. From the 18th century, Dehloran has been a winter resort for the local tribes.