TEHRAN – Iran’s Ministry of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts will implement targeted training packages titled “Empowerment and Retraining Courses for Tourism Human Resources” across the country, a senior tourism official said on Monday.
Vali Teymouri, advisor to the tourism minister and director general of the ministry’s office for studies, education and planning, said the courses were designed in recent months in response to rapid changes in the tourism industry, diversification of tourism-related jobs and the growing need for specialized skills.
“In view of the rapid developments in the tourism industry and the increasing need for professional competencies, the design and implementation of targeted training packages have been placed on the agenda to enhance the capabilities of the workforce and respond to industry needs under the country’s current conditions,” Teymouri said.
He said the courses were developed based on a comprehensive field needs assessment and an evaluation of existing gaps in the tourism labor market. He added that direct participation by private sector stakeholders in both design and implementation had ensured that the programs were practical and aligned with the needs of tourism enterprises.
Teymouri said five workshops are currently being held nationwide under the supervision of provincial directorates and delivered by the private sector. The workshops cover crisis management and stakeholder resilience, support for rural and local tourism businesses, retraining of tour guides, regulations on the management and operation of eco-lodges, and introduction to tourism satellite accounts.
He said the crisis management and resilience course was designed in light of the country’s current conditions to improve the knowledge and skills of tourism stakeholders, reduce potential losses and enable cost-effective responses, drawing on national and international experience.
The workshop on supporting rural and local tourism businesses aims to strengthen rural entrepreneurs in management, marketing and branding, with the goal of promoting employment and distributing tourism’s economic benefits across different regions, he said.
Teymouri said the retraining course for tour guides is intended to update their technical and professional knowledge so they can provide services aligned with market expectations.
Regarding eco-lodges, he said that while their numbers meet the ministry’s quantitative indicators, improving service quality and aligning operations with existing standards has become a priority. The course seeks to increase managers’ awareness of regulations, hospitality principles and service standards while preserving local identity.
Elsewhere in his remarks, Teymouri added that following the completion of the national project to establish tourism satellite accounts in January, the tourism ministry has prioritized strengthening the statistical capacity of provincial offices and familiarizing experts with relevant concepts to implement a comprehensive tourism statistics system.
He underlined a series of workshops on tourism satellite accounts has been planned in six locations for all 31 provinces, in cooperation with the Statistical Center of Iran.
Based on available data, the Islamic Republic generated about $7.4 billion from foreign tourism in the past Iranian calendar year (ended in March 2025), attracting more than 7 million international visitors. Based on figures provided by Iran’s Law Enforcement Command (FARAJA), 7.399 million foreign visitors entered the country last year. Salehi-Amiri said their combined spending brought in $7.4 billion in revenue, underscoring the tourism sector’s potential to support economic growth.
Iran is home to numerous tourist spots such as bazaars, museums, mosques, bridges, bathhouses, madrasas, mausoleums, churches, towers, and mansions, of which 29 are inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage list.
AM
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: tehrantimes.com
