Iran and Iraq Unveil Exciting New Phase in Tourism Cooperation

In a significant move towards enhancing tourism cooperation, Iran and Iraq have launched Iran’s first tourism roadshow in Iraq, featuring an impressive 80-member delegation. This initiative aims to boost tourism exchanges, fortify bilateral ties, and uncover new collaborative opportunities in the travel and hospitality sectors.

The roadshow is taking place across key Iraqi cities, including Basra, Baghdad, and Karbala, and includes various tourism officials and industry representatives from Iran. According to reports from ILNA, officials from both Iranian and Iraqi ministries of cultural heritage reveal that an estimated 11.5 million tourists travel between Iran and Iraq annually. This includes approximately eight million Iranian tourists visiting Iraq and 3.5 million Iraqi tourists traveling to Iran.

Despite the significant flow of tourists between the two countries, officials noted that there had been a lack of formal tourism or cultural events aimed at attracting visitors from either side. This roadshow represents a turning point in addressing this gap.

During a recent meeting between Moslem Shojaei, the director-general for marketing and foreign tourism development at Iran’s Tourism Ministry, and Nasser Ghanem Murad, the head of the Tourism Authority of the Iraqi Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Antiquities, discussions centered on the submission of an executive plan aimed at enhancing tourism cooperation. Shojaei urged Ghanem Murad to endorse this program and facilitate the signing of an official agreement between the two governments to further develop tourism cooperation.

Key points discussed in the meeting included:

• The establishment of two annual meetings for the Iran-Iraq Tourism Technical Committee to strengthen ties.
• The introduction of diverse tourism products focusing on pilgrimage, health, history, and culture.
• The importance of understanding and enhancing the diverse tourism capacities of both nations.

Shojaei emphasized that Iran and Iraq serve as each other’s primary tourism markets. He expressed the need for increased tourism exchanges at both government and private sector levels, aiming for a robust interaction in tourism development. “Tourism exchanges between the two countries should increase at the level of government officials and especially at the level of the private sector,” he stated.

Another pivotal aspect discussed was the role of tourism advertising. Shojaei highlighted that two-way marketing and advertising of Iranian and Iraqi tourism is essential for developing their tourism relations. He underscored that effective marketing strategies are critical to recognizing the tourism potentials of both nations beyond just pilgrimage tourism.

Ghanem Murad expressed his approval of the Iran-Iraq tourism document’s implementation. He noted that the finalization of this document would occur during a visit by Iran’s Minister of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts or in the presence of Iraqi officials in Tehran. He also supported the proposal for bilateral marketing initiatives, emphasizing the necessity of cooperation between the government and private sectors in promoting tourism.

Tourism cooperation between Iran and Iraq has commenced formally for the first time through this Iranian tourism roadshow, organized by the Association of Iranian Travel Agencies in collaboration with Iran’s Ministry of Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism. This four-day event is anticipated to culminate in the signing of a memorandum of understanding between the private sectors of both countries.

In summary, this tourism roadshow marks a promising beginning for enhancing bilateral tourism relations between Iran and Iraq. Both nations are poised to capitalize on their rich cultural heritages and shared historical ties, which can lead to a mutually beneficial relationship in the tourism industry.