Iran and South Africa held discussions aimed at strengthening tourism interaction by enhancing ties between the private sectors, joint marketing initiatives, and establishing a foundation for bilateral projects.
The Iranian Minister of Cultural Heritage, Tourism, and Handicrafts, Seyed Reza Salehi-Amiri, met with the South African Minister of Tourism, Patricia de Lille, on Friday during the third BRICS tourism ministers' meeting held in India.
Salehi-Amiri noted that Iran and South Africa possess complementary tourism potential and called for a shift from political relations to practical and economic cooperation in the field of tourism, according to Mehr news agency.
He stated that he considers South Africa a gateway to Africa, emphasizing the potential of both countries to build stronger tourism links, contingent upon the commitment of both sides.
Furthermore, Salehi-Amiri mentioned the high level of respect for the late South African leader Nelson Mandela in Iran.
During the meeting, the Iranian minister presented his country's historical, cultural, and tourism heritage, noting that Iran has over one million identified historical sites and places, 43,000 nationally registered sites, and 30 World Heritage sites. He added that 27 elements of Iran's intangible heritage are listed by UNESCO, and another 58 sites are awaiting international registration.
According to Salehi-Amiri, Iran offers diverse tourism products, including cultural and historical tourism, medical tourism, ecotourism, and adventure tourism, and he emphasized the need to promote these opportunities in new international markets.
Three Priorities for Cooperation
Salehi-Amiri proposed three main areas for practical tourism cooperation between the two states, with the primary priority being the establishment of contacts between private sector players. He urged travel agencies, airlines, hotels, and other businesses across the entire tourism supply chain to establish direct connections, while governments should facilitate business cooperation and joint projects.
He stressed that governments must act as an enabling link so that existing opportunities in both countries can transform into real commercial and tourism relationships.
As the second priority, Salehi-Amiri suggested strengthening mutual understanding and conducting joint tourism marketing. He proposed organizing familiarization tours for South African journalists, influencers, media specialists, and tourism industry representatives so they can explore Iran's tourist attractions and create content for the South African audience.
He also advocated for more active use of social media and other new media platforms to promote the attractions, culture, lifestyle, and tourism opportunities of both countries.
The third priority was the development of a cooperation document and a clear implementation structure. Salehi-Amiri insisted that bilateral agreements must be converted into practical programs with set timelines. The parties agreed that Iran would prepare its proposals and framework for tourism cooperation and send them to South Africa for consideration, aiming to move bilateral tourism ties to the implementation stage.