Baku, Azerbaijan, June 9
By Umid Niayesh - Trend:
Iranian president Hassan Rouhani has invited Turkish investors to invest in hotel construction in Iran's touristy regions.
Rouhani also underlined that the two countries share similar viewpoints towards boosting banking system cooperation, Iran's IRINN TV reported on June 9.
Iranian president made the remarks during a joint press conference with his Turkish counterpart Abdullah Gul in Ankara.
Heading a high-ranking delegation Rouhani arrived in Ankara on June 9 for a two-day official visit at the invitation of Abdullah Gul.
Iranian president also remarked that boosting bilateral ties with neighbouring countries is a priority for Iran.
Tehran and Ankara are determined to increase their bilateral trade in different fields, including economy, energy, tourism, and culture. Iran's tourism industry is booming, and Rouhani has previously said that he hopes to attract 10 million international tourists each year.
Travel and tourism accounted for 6.3 percent of Iran's $482 billion economy in 2012, according to an estimate by the World Economic Forum in a report last year.
Masoud Soltanifar, Iran's Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism Organization (ICHHTO), said on May 20 that Iran's share in world's total $1.25 trillion tourism industry is very little.
The country currently attracts predominantly medical and religious tourists, although this is all expected to change as Iran develops new relationships with foreign nations.
Edited by CN