Memoranda of understanding are to be signed between Iran Cultural Heritage and Tourism Organization and the countries located within the realm, of Iranian civilization, Cultural Heritage News reported.
The MoUs shall revolve around restoration and revival of historic monuments, archeological research and excavations as well as tourism plans.
The territory of Iranian civilization includes Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan and Kyrgyzstan, all of which have cultural, artistic, historical and architectural commonalities with Iran.
Director of international relations of ICHTO Department for Legal, Parliamentary and International Affairs, Abdorrasoul Vatandoust, went on, “Considering that parts of Iranian culture, history and civilization are located in these countries, we are planning a series of projects to conduct research on and renovate archeologically significant places there.“
He recalled that the first step was taken by signing an MoU with Tajikistan during the recent visit of Tajik Culture Minister, Rajab Amirov. “Despite their diverse ethnic, cultural and historical commonalities, the two governments of Iran and Tajikistan have so far failed to have extensive cooperation in the field of cultural heritage preservation,“ Amirov said during his visit in early March.
Iran has been trying to make a strong showing in terms of repairing cultural heritage sites internationally over the past three years with the help of UNESCO. During the past year, Iran has several times announced its readiness to help restore war-shattered historic monuments in Afghanistan and Iraq, but this has not been fulfilled yet due to security concerns in those countries.
Vatandoust insisted that signing MoUs with Central Asian states was a top priority of ICHTO and added, “Helping preserve Iranian art and civilization at the international level is highly significant for the organization.“

Norouz vacationers will travel more conveniently as of next year thanks to a sufficient budget allocated by the government to the Iranian Cultural Heritage and Tourism Organization in the current year (started March 21), Fars news agency wrote.
Deputy head of ICHTO for international, legal and Majlis affairs, Taha Hashemi, vowed that the organization would provide better facilities for holidaymakers during next Norouz vacations.
Stressing that promotion of foreign tourism is tied to a thriving domestic tourism, he said, “Foreign visitors would travel to Iran with more determination and peace of mind when they see Iranians travel conveniently within their country.“
Hashemi noted that the government had devoted special attention to tourism following the guidelines issued by the leader Ayatollah Khamenei regarding expansion of the industry.
“Also, the presence of President Khatami in High Tourism Council resulted in endorsement of guidelines for easing domestic travels, especially during Norouz holidays,“ she added. He further underlined media role in promoting Norouz travels. “News agencies, the press and Internet sites seriously disseminated public demands with regard to tourism,“ he added.
“Newspapers even devoted exclusive pages to tourism-related topics as well as discussions on how traveling can affect people’s mental and physical health.“
Hashemi stated that large-scale attempts to promote Iranian sightseeing, religious and historical attractions was another reason behind an increase in Norouz travels. “Formerly, our people were not adequately aware of tourism draws in various parts of the country,“ he stated.

Imamzadeh Zeid Al-Kabir Shrine in Abhar

One billion rials in credit has been set aside for establishment of a tourist hamlet in the town of Abhar, Zanjan province, head of the local Cultural Heritage and Tourist Department, Davoud Abian, said.
He referred to Soltanieh Dome, Qorveh Mosque, shrines of Imamzadeh Esmail Shannat and Imamzadeh Zeid Al-Kabir, Pir Ahmad-e Zahrnoush Mausoleum, the coastal park and forests as the top attractions of the town, adding Abhar is capable of drawing a large number of sightseers thanks to its diverse attractions.
The official added a tourist hamlet was going to be founded in the vicinity of Ali Balaqi and Kineh Vars Dam.
He noted that Kineh Vars farms, springs and dam and the proximity to Kataleh Khor Cave in Garmab can also magnetize visitors.
Fishing and water sports facilities will be provided in the dam as well, Abian said.

The ancient Jame’ Atiq Mosque of Shiraz is one of the oldest mosques in Iran and a relic of the days of the Saffarid Amr bin Leys’s reign. It is a structure referred to many times in the writings of travelers such as the Bin Battuta and Madame Dieulafoy.
The Saffarids were a people of Iranian stock who were originally from the province of Sistan.
During the course of their sovereignty, that is, from 867 to 903 AD, they did not neglect the construction of public buildings, of which the Jame’ Mosque, is a prime example despite the many conflicts they had with the Baghdad Caliphs and local rivals. The construction of the mosque started in 894 as an act of thanksgiving following the victory of Amr Leys forces over the armies of the Abbassid Caliph al-Movaffaq.
Through the years, the mosque has witnessed numerous catastrophes, as a result of which it has been rebuilt and restored many times, for example in the 12th and 13th century AD, during the reign of the Atabak rulers of Fars, and in the 16th through 18th century AD, during the Safavid epoch. The restoration of the mosque has continued during the reign of Pahlavi dynasty, with the cooperation of the Department of Archeology and the charitable people of Fars province.
The Jame’ Mosque used to have six portals in different directions and numerous magnificent Shabestans or prayer halls and chambers, some of which gradually fell into ruin and are no longer standing.
Formerly the Sahn or the courtyard of the mosque was carpeted with marble, and there were stone basins in the vestibules wherein those entering the mosque would wash their feet before proceeding barefoot onto the courtyard. The most important portal of the mosque lies on the north side, and is known as The twelve Imams.
Its piers and borders are of stone, and the rest is brickwork. Both sides of the portal are decorated with glazed mosaic tiles.
The decoration consists of beautifully written verses from the Qur’an and arabesque designs with flower-and-bird motifs.
Between this portal and the entrance of the mosque, there is a vestibule, around which a number of blind arches can be seen.
The ceiling of this section has been decorated with stalactites in a very interesting and appealing way, and is ornamented with Qur’anic verses on all four sides.
There is also an inscription from the Safavid period here, which is the work of the famous calligrapher, Ali Johari.

Falak-ul-Aflak monument attracted about 83,000 visitors during Norouz holidays.

Being located on Iran’s major transit road, Lorestan province attracted close to two million travelers during Norouz holidays (March 21-April 2), ISNA said.
Director general of Lorestan Department of Cultural Heritage and Tourism, Sirous Ebrahimi, in an interview with ISNA said because of strong traditional bonds, only 140,000 of the incoming visitors were accommodated in provincial hotels and lodges.
“The ancient fortress of Falak-ul-Aflak, attracting about 83,000 visitors, was the most frequently visited place in Lorestan. The figure showed a twofold increase compared to last year,“ he said, adding 800,000 tourists visited the province during the same period of last year.
He added that extensive promotion as well as the situation of the Boroujerd-Khorram Abad-Pol Dokhtar transit road caused all eight hotels and 15 hostels in the province to achieve full occupancy.
“Ten black tents were set up; visitors’ guides and advertising brochures were provided among visitors; also the guests were served with local bread and yogurt drink in the entrances to the city, all of which was warmly welcomed by tourists.,“ Ebrahimi added.

Sadabad Palace in north Tehran, a summer residence of the Pahlavi royal family, was turned into a museum in the wake of the 1979 Islamic Revolution. (Photo by Oshin D. Zakarian)

Iranian tour guides will be trained by NHTV, Netherlands Institute of Tourism and Transport Studies.
Secretary of Tour Guides Society said that those holding tour guide cards would attend short-term intensive courses under the supervision of NHTV, following which they will be authorized to operate at the international level.
Amir-Hossein Arbaban added that the Dutch institute would dispatch two instructors to Iran on May 15 who would train 15 Iranian instructors in the first phase.
The institute is one of the oldest educational centers for tourism. It has been active since 1966 and has developed into one of the best known centers of expertise in tourism in Europe.

Hani ethnic group in southwest China’s Yunnan Province staged traditional singing and dancing performances Sunday to celebrate their first sun carnival, chinaviews.cn reported.
The carnival is lasting for three days in Mojiang Hani Autonomous County, known as “City of the Sun“ because the Tropic of Cancer runs through it.
As part of the ongoing Kunming International Tourism Festival, the carnival features fashion shows of traditional Hani style costumes, a seminar on Hani culture and games such as tug of war, cockfights, spinning tops and seesaw. The sun carnival will be held annually by the Hani people.

Like other southern European destinations, Portugal is facing growing competition in the market for beach holidays from cheaper rivals such as Turkey and Tunisia which the rise of low-cost air travel has put within easier reach, AFP reported.
Hotel occupancy rates have dropped in the Algarve, which gets the bulk of its visitors from Britain and Germany, each year since 2000.
As tourism accounts for up to 10 percent of all employment in Portugal, a nation of 10 million people, the government has responded by promoting often overlooked historical and natural attractions in other regions.
A new advertising campaign, which urges visitors to “Go Deeper“, showcases the castles and natural parks found in the center and north of the country.
The goal is to meet the growing global demand for historical and cultural travel and draw visitors with deeper pockets while at the same helping to distinguish Portugal from other southern European destinations.
The campaign follows efforts to restore historic sites and encourage the construction of hotels in previously little-visited regions.
Millions have been spent since 1997 to bury electrical and telephone cables, and restore the stone-built houses, in 12 medieval villages nestled in the Beiras, a region of rocky crags and verdant hills near the border with Spain.
“We are betting on our edge, which is our heritage, what we once were,“ said Armindo Jacinto, the vice president of the town of Idanha-a-Nova, which oversaw the reconstruction of two villages, Monsanto and Idanha-a-Velha.
Local officials in the Beiras, home to mainland Portugual’s highest mountain range, have also built paths for mountain bikes and set up paragliding and mountain climbing schools to lure extreme sports fans.
The region has received investment worth 200 million euros ($257 million) over the past five years in new hotels and other tourism-related infrastructure, according to the Serra da Estrela tourist association which covers most of the Beiras.
The strategy appears to be paying off. While overnight stays in the Algarve fell 6.3 percent in 2004 over the previous year they were up 6.5 percent in the center of Portugal and rose 5.7 percent in the north, national statistics institute INE figures show.
Still, hotel owners complain of lengthy waits to get projects approved and of insufficient publicity.
Countess Luisa de la Vega y Pedroso said she relies exclusively on word of mouth to fill the three manor homes she operates in the Beiras.
“Fortunately that is the best kind of promotion there is,“ she said.
Visitors to the interior of Portugal, who are mostly nationals, also usually stay only for short stays of just two to three days.
Jorge Patrao, the president of the Serra da Estrela tourist association, said more must to be done to set up restaurants and stage events in the region.
“It is not enough to reconstruct houses, there has to be life,“ he said.

India hosted one of the biggest international travel and tourism industry summits from April 8 to 10. The World Travel and Tourism Council’s (WTTC) sixth global summit had a series of sessions with CEOs of airlines, managing directors of the biggest travel agencies and tourism ministers. India beat China and the US to host the coveted event.
The assessment on Travel and Tourism Demand in 2006 to 2015 was reported at a summit in New Delhi, Vietnam News Agency reported.
For the second year in a row, Montenegro placed first as the fastest growing travel and tourism economy in the world.
India and China placed second and third respectively, illustrating the impact of the emerging middle class on the growth of travel and tourism.
Vietnam stands in seventh place, following sixth place Sudan which has the same estimated annual growth of 7.7 percent.
The World Travel and Tourism Council is the forum for global business leaders comprising the presidents, chairpersons and CEOs of 100 of the world’s foremost companies.
Also on the menu was a focus on India as a tourist destination. Among the media showcasing the event and the host country was BBC World, which has two shows lined up for later this month. The first, to be broadcast at noon on April 17, is a summary of the summit. And on April 24, the show is on the Incredible India campaign run by the Indian tourism ministry, highlighting the country as a holiday hotspot, indiantelevision.com said.
The weekly worldwide round-up of travel news for both the leisure and business sectors is anchored by Akhtar Khan.
“The WTTC summit started on a very buoyant note, with the President of India’s speech. The focus for our show, apart from a summary of the various sessions and debates, will be the effect of the tsunami on the tourism industry,“ Khan told Metro. “But we will also look at how such a global summit will impact India.“
The second show takes a look at efforts to sell India as a tourist destination. “We would have done a show on the country anyway, but the timing of the campaign was perfect. Apart from an interview with tourism minister Renuka Chowdhury, we will highlight certain aspects, like how states within India are promoting themselves,“ explained Khan.
The program will also shed light on the progress of medical tourism in India. On a lighter note, one segment will look at the age of the Taj Mahal. “It is the 350th anniversary, but how old is it really?“ he wondered.
Khan added that India was increasingly gaining popularity internationally as a tourist destination. “At international fairs and travel marts, India usually has huge stalls with lots of visitors. People want an exotic, refreshing, peaceful and calm destination for their holidays. And India offers all that, as well as lots of color and culture,“ Khan signed off.