Representatives from Iran and Turkey recently held discussions aimed at expanding cooperation in the field of tourism. The goal was to move away from focusing on a few well-known destinations and to promote the diverse attractions of each country's provinces to each other's markets.
Dariush Kaykhanmehr, head of the Iran-Turkey marketing office, made these statements after meeting with Gökhan Çetinkaya, the newly appointed advisor on culture and tourism at the Turkish embassy in Tehran, as reported by the IRIB news agency on Thursday.
Kaykhanmehr noted that the meeting was dedicated to finding ways to strengthen cultural and tourist interaction between the two states and to more effectively utilize the potential of the provinces to promote tourism opportunities and attractions in both markets.
He emphasized the need to transform existing tourism potential into practical and sustainable programs. He added that during Çetinkaya's mission in Iran, Iranian provinces should be systematically and purposefully promoted in Turkey, just as Turkish provinces should be promoted in Iran.
Kaykhanmehr pointed out that Iran and Turkey are regional countries possessing vast historical, cultural, natural, urban, and tourist resources, yet many of these sites remain little known or unfamiliar to the populations of both countries.
In Kaykhanmehr's opinion, focusing directly on provinces and individual locations can provide a more complete picture of each country's tourism potential. He argued that tourism promotion should shift from emphasizing a limited number of established destinations to presenting a network of provinces and diverse attractions.
This approach, he said, would allow tourists more choices, ensure a geographical distribution of tourist flows, extend visitors' stays, and help lesser-known places develop their tourism potential.
Kaykhanmehr also defined tourism more broadly than just a tool for destination marketing, stating that mutual promotion of provincial attractions can contribute to the development of cultural diplomacy, strengthening ties between local communities, and creating new economic opportunities.
He noted that a deeper acquaintance with each other's cultural and historical heritage, natural landscapes, and way of life can foster stronger and more lasting bonds between the peoples of the two countries. Referring to the long historical and cultural ties between the neighboring states, Kaykhanmehr stated that tourism can become an effective platform for strengthening these ties in the modern era.
He also expressed gratitude to the Turkish people and government for supporting Iran during what he described as recent difficult circumstances. Kaykhanmehr concluded that both sides should strive to turn tourism cooperation from sporadic initiatives into a continuous, professional, and targeted process, paying more attention to lesser-known destinations.
He expressed hope that this meeting will pave the way for broader practical cooperation in culture and tourism, as presenting each country's attractions to the other ultimately means promoting their history, culture, nature, identity, and way of life to one another.