WANA (Oct 02) – On the sidelines of the government meetingIran’s Minister of Cultural Heritage, Tourism, and Handicrafts, Seyed Reza Salehi Amiri, emphasized the necessity of a national consensus for developing the country’s tourism sector. He also highlighted the importance of enhancing domestic capacities while boosting international cooperation and tourism diplomacy.

 

Salehi Amiri stated that, regarding the protection of historical sites, “Nationally registered sites are under legal protection, and any form of destruction will be pursued seriously.” He noted that heightened public awareness of cultural heritage had reduced the destruction of historical artefacts in the country.

 

Salehi Amiri also commented on Iran’s attractiveness to tourists, asserting, “According to international reports, Iran is the seventh most attractive country for tourists; however, I believe we rank among the top three.”

 

The Minister of Cultural Heritage highlighted the importance of standard infrastructure and safety in attracting tourists, stating that the current tourism capacity of the country is 6.2 million, which is projected to increase to 15 million tourists in the coming years.

In a related development, Salehi Amiri referred to the recent repatriation of Achaemenid tablets from the United States, stating, “During the recent visit of the President to the U.S., 1,100 tablets were returned to the country.” He confirmed these artefacts would be transferred to the National Museum of Iran and will soon be unveiled in the presence of Iran’s President, Masoud Pezeshkian, at the National Museum of Iran.

 

He stated that a piece of these tablets, discovered near the Dez Dam in Khuzestan, was taken out of Iran by an Iranian 50 years ago. After five decades, this individual and his children returned the piece to our representatives in the United States, and it has now been repatriated to Iran.

 

He also stressed that “we have legal cases for the repatriation of historical artefacts in several countries and are pursuing the return of every Iranian artefact found abroad.”