Iran urges ECO states to promote Silk Road tourism

Iran has tabled a new set of initiatives to promote tourism in the region, including a multi-year action plan to revive the ancient Silk Road.

Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts Organization Deputy Director Reza Mousavi said member states of the Economic Cooperation Organization should make the most of the vast tourism potential of the region.

"ECO member states have a population of over 400 million with a variety of races and ethnicities," Mousavi said on Saturday at a meeting of ECO tourism ministers in Antalya, Turkey.

"Therefore they have a good chance of improving tourism, not only among themselves but also with other countries," he added.

He went on to say that ECO is a "regional organization that helps eliminate regional poverty" because of its significant role in developing tourism and creating jobs for women and the youth.

Mousavi urged ECO members to establish a tourism convention as well as a global TV network to promote better understanding of cultural issues and to attract tourists to the region.

He also called for the revival of the Silk Road, saying it would lead to a tourism boom in the coming years.

The Silk Road, which links China to the Mediterranean Sea, is one of the oldest and most historically important trade routes in the world.

The Economic Cooperation Organization is a trade bloc comprised of Iran, Turkey, Pakistan, Azerbaijan, Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, and Turkmenistan.