Tabriz 2018 - Islamic Tourism Capital

Tabriz 2018: a great event

 

Vice President and Director of the Organization for Tourism, Cultural Heritage and Handicraft, dr. Ali Asghar Mounesan:

“Tabriz 2018” is an international event and a historic opportunity for the Islamic Republic of Iran to bring the country on the path of sustainable tourism development by increasing the country's capacities and infrastructure through systematic and resolute planning. This choice - which is a consequence of the success in the dialogue of interaction and peace diplomacy implemented by the RI government of Iran on the basis of optimistic and forward-looking policies, particularly in the province ofEastern Azerbaijan and in the city of Tabriz - it must be considered a precious opportunity thanks to which Iran will be able to compete with the countries, Muslims and non-Muslims, in attracting tourists and developing the tourism industry. In recent years, the Government of Iran has tried to develop the tourism industry in the direction of a dialogue based on mutual respect between the various nations, and important and significant steps have been taken in this direction, the effect of which has been the extraordinary increase in the number of tourists who have arrived in Iran in the last four years. The National Council for the Political Implementation of "Tabriz 2018" considers this event a great opportunity to make Iran, and in particular the city of Tabriz, an emerging destination for a "halal" tourism (ie respectful of the principles and values ​​of Islam), and intends to present to the world in the best way the civilization, culture and identity of the country. Now, on the eve of this event, in thanking the members of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation for this choice, we are proud to affirm that thanks to the generous support of the Government of Iran and the efforts of public and private organizations and institutions, Tabriz has enthusiastically opened its doors to the peoples of the world, especially the Muslims, to show that what is said about it is not just words. This city is ready to show that "Tabriz must be visited".

Know the OIC

The organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), the collective voice of the Islamic world, is the second largest intergovernmental organization after the UN, boasting 57 member states. The organization, which was founded to follow a decision taken at the historic summit held in Rabat, Morocco, 25 September 1969, aims to safeguard and protect the common interests of member states and coordinate their efforts to manage the better the social, historical and political changes that the Islamic world in particular, and the international community in general, find themselves facing. It seeks to promote international peace and harmony among all the peoples of the world, and having consultative relations and cooperatives with the UN and other intergovernmental organizations, also seeks to counteract the defamation of Islam and Islamophobia, as well as to encourage dialogue between civilizations and religions.
Specifically, the OIC has taken various steps to spread, promote and preserve the teachings and principles of Islam based on balance, moderation and tolerance, as well as to promote the science and civilization of Islam and safeguard its heritage and the heritage. The promotion of cooperation in the social, cultural and communication field between the various member states is also one of the objectives of the Organization.

In addition to the aforementioned priority fields of action, issues related to the development of successful Islamic tourism and the increase of the "halal" business, as well as the planning and implementation of an effective information and communication policy in order to promote Islamic tourism , also constitute some of the areas considered important and significant by the OIC.

To achieve these goals, the Organization established the "City of Tourism OIC" Award, in order to enhance and increase its activities and initiatives in the awarded cities, and consequently to develop the socio-economic potential of the city by promoting trade and the exchange of goods and services between the member states of the OIC.

The Award is an initiative linked to the development of tourism, which can contribute to increasing and improving information regarding tourism potential, history, culture, Islamic monuments and nature. This initiative can also encourage regular trips and stays in the cities of the OIC for sightseeing and leisure, and is able to bring huge benefits to a city in social and economic terms, during the year itself and also in those to come. . It is a unique opportunity to renew cities, improve their image and make them better known to member states of the OIC and also internationally.
As a result, in the 9 session of the Islamic Conference of Tourism Ministers organized by the OIC in Niamey, the capital of Niger, the 21-23 December 2015, the city of Tabriz was chosen as the City of Tourism OIC for the 2018.

GENERAL OBJECTIVES OF THE OIC IN RELATION TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF TOURISM

- Encourage Member States to implement nationwide plans and projects for the development of cities and tourist sites within the framework of their efforts to reduce poverty in their countries and ensure sustainable development for their economies;
- Increase, among other things, eco-tourism, religious tourism, health tourism and tourism linked to the artistic and archaeological heritage;
- Increase the standard of living of the people who live in the chosen city;
- Increase public awareness in OIC countries of the existence of tourist attractions, resources and facilities in the Islamic world in a way and perspective that encourages the arrival of tourists
- Create healthy competition between member states to promote tourism development
- Encourage member states to organize fairs and festivals of arts, cinema, cuisine and typical products in their chosen cities;
- Support and increase tourist infrastructures and give high priority to the development of hotel and restaurant facilities
- Encourage national tourism authorities to prepare promotional material such as brochures, posters, tourist guides, multilingual practical dictionaries, television programs and DVDs on the chosen cities;
- Encourage the private sector to present combined travel packages
- Attract the interest of the population according to the reality and aims of the OIC
- Promote activities aimed at the fight against poverty and its eradication in OIC countries
- Increase Islamic solidarity through the development of tourism

WHY TABRIZ?

The choice of Tabriz as the Capital City of Tourism OIC for the 2018 dates back to the 9 meeting of the Ministers of Tourism of the OIC held in 2015 when, after preliminary investigations and evaluations carried out in Iran, the cities of Tabriz and Yazd were chosen as candidates for Iran at the meeting, and were judged together with the other cities selected in the Islamic world by experts and professionals in the field of tourism.
The city of Tabriz has managed to obtain this recognition after being carefully evaluated and having obtained the necessary score among the various candidate cities. It was therefore chosen as the Tourism City of the Islamic countries for the 2018 receiving 7 votes on 9 presented in the meeting.
In fact, the city of Tabriz was selected as a tourist destination for Muslims for the 2018 thanks to the variety of its natural landscapes and the potential in the field of historical and artistic tourism, being able to enjoy its proven infrastructure in different fields, numerous specialized museums, landscapes diversified and numerous sites of historical and archaeological interest, and being also home to many national and international events and presenting itself as the universal capital city of the carpet, considering also the constant increase in the number of both domestic and foreign tourists that the city has registered in the last .
Undoubtedly, Tabriz has been chosen taking into account its long history, its civilization and its baggage and cultural background. Tabriz has long been the cradle of literature, mysticism and culture, and is famous for its artistic beauties, artifacts and talented artists from the city. In addition to all this, other sites of historical interest such as the Iron Age Museum should also be mentioned. the Blue Mosque, the monumental complex of Rab-e Rashidi, the Arch of Alishah (Arge Alishah), the Mausoleum of the Poets (Maqbaratoshoara) and dozens of houses and historic buildings that represent the traditional and cultural heart of the city, as well as the historic Bazaar of Tabriz, which became a UNESCO heritage site because it is considered the longest traditional covered market in the world, and the fact that history and ancient culture are interconnected and are an integral part of people's daily lives are testament to the importance and attractiveness of Tabriz for all Muslims in the world.
The natural, cultural and tourist attractions, sustainable development with respect to the number of tourist arrivals in a specific period, the city's profits linked to tourism, Islamic monuments, fairs and festivals and social and cultural events, including those related to local agricultural products, artifacts and productions of traditional nomad families, tourist events organized in the city, the number of hotels in the centers linked to leisure time, the availability of basic infrastructure, the comfort and efficiency of the transport system , the rapid obtaining of the tourist visa, the easy usability of information concerning the city and the region at international level, are among the factors taken into consideration for the choice of cities to be named Tourism City OIC.

http://en-2018.tabriz.ir/

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