Holding the First Specialized Meeting of Heads of Professional Associations of Ecotourism Accommodations of the Country in Semnan

According to the report of the Mehrasht Arta correspondent, the first specialized meeting of the heads of the professional associations of ecotourism accommodations of the country and the board of directors of the Society of Ecotourism Accommodations of Iran was held on the evening of Wednesday, April 29, 2026, in the meeting hall of the Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines, and Agriculture of Semnan Province. In this meeting, which was attended by Fatemi, Director General of the Office for Domestic Tourism Development of the country, Dehrouyeh, Deputy Coordinator of Economic Affairs of Semnan Governorate, Tajick, Director General of Cultural Heritage, Tourism, and Handicrafts of Semnan Province, Samimian, Governor of Semnan, Abiri, Head of the Society of Professional Associations of Ecotourism Accommodations of Iran, deputies of the General Directorate of Cultural Heritage of the province, a group of heads and board members of the professional associations of ecotourism accommodations of the country and provinces, and representatives of the private sector, the attendees engaged in brainstorming, exchanging views, and presenting challenges and solutions in the field of ecotourism. Jalal Tajick, Director General of Cultural Heritage, Tourism, and Handicrafts of Semnan Province, emphasized the important role of organizations in tourism development at this meeting and said: "We have always supported the formation of associations in the Ministry of Cultural Heritage, Tourism, and Handicrafts, and we consider organizations as part of ourselves and a powerful arm of the collection." The Director General of Cultural Heritage, Tourism, and Handicrafts of Semnan Province added: "The more the country moves towards greater development, the more prominent the role of associations will become." He stated that the formation and existence of associations are not the ultimate goal, and said: "In the continuation of the path, some of the powers of the government sector should be delegated to the associations." Tajick stated: "Fortunately, associations in the country have gradually matured and have the capacity to accept these authorities." Tajick then referred to new decisions in Semnan Province and said: "With the support of Mr. Salehi Amiri, the historic Tadain House of Semnan has been handed over to the General Directorate of Cultural Heritage, and I announce today that a part of this historic house will be allocated as the home and headquarters of the associations so that organizations can benefit from it." The Director General of Cultural Heritage, Tourism, and Handicrafts of Semnan Province also referred to Qaleh Bala tourist destination village as one of the most important ecotourism capacities of the province and added: "Qaleh Bala village is on the verge of global registration, and we hope to announce this news soon as good tidings for the dear people of Iran." Subsequently, Yavar Abiri, Head of the Society of Professional Associations of Ecotourism Accommodations of Iran, explained the performance of ecotourism accommodations during Nowruz 1405 (Spring 2026) and said: "60 percent of the accommodations during Nowruz 1405 were in ecotourism accommodations, of which 40 percent were provided free of charge as services in wartime conditions." The Head of the Society of Professional Associations of Ecotourism Accommodations of Iran pointed to the role of ecotourism in recent crises and said: "Ecotourism accommodations acted as passive defense in the field of accommodation during the 12-day war and the Ramadan war, serving as shelters and supporters for the people. Ecotourism has an unparalleled role in the field of accommodation." He emphasized the importance of preserving these infrastructures and said: "The closure of even one ecotourism accommodation means the fading of micro-cultures; therefore, the government can play its facilitating role more than ever to keep these units afloat." Abiri, referring to the plans of the Society of Associations, said: "Evaluation and training lead to quality improvement in ecotourism, and we are focusing on qualitative increase alongside quantitative development." Mehdi Samimian, the Governor of Semnan County, also spoke at this meeting, referring to the province's position and said: "Semnan has been a pioneer in many fields. The existence of luminaries, celebrities, and mystics from the past to the present has brought pride to the name of Semnan." The Governor of Semnan County, referring to the diverse capacities of the province, added: "In addition to the richness of natural and historical attractions, we have mines such as gypsum and salt, and the diversity of Semnan's handicraft fields with 52 disciplines is renowned throughout the country." He emphasized the necessity of supporting ecotourism activists and said: "Semnan's ecotourism accommodations must be supported more than ever. Decisive action against unauthorized accommodations is on the agenda and will be seriously pursued." Mostafa Fatemi, Director General of the Office for Domestic Tourism Development of the Ministry of Cultural Heritage, referring to the consequences of war on the tourism industry, stated: "War has had a significant negative impact on tourism, and it can be said that after Corona, it has been the second serious crisis in this field." The Director General of the Office for Domestic Tourism Development of the country added: "Tourism has transformed from a transient activity into a part of the country's economy. To support the activists in the tourism sector, we have considered three support packages, which will be implemented in cooperation with other ministries." He elaborated on these packages and said: "The first package is a support package." Fatemi elaborated: "The provincial facilitation headquarters must play a short-term supportive role so that tourism and ecotourism activists can overcome this stage." The Director General of the Office for Domestic Tourism Development of the country called the second package a travel demand stimulation package and said: "We must consider the second package as a travel demand stimulation package because, within this framework, it is necessary for the government to provide the ground for increased travel by implementing travel cards, and in return, tourism facilities, including ecotourism accommodations, will play a greater role in attracting tourists by offering discounts." He called the third package a package for restoring Iran's tourism brand and stated: "The name of Iran is known in the world, but in the context of war, it is our art to restore the brand and keep the name of Iran flying high as always." Fatemi stated: "Updating the events calendar and holding the grand celebration of Ecotourism Day this year can be a driving force for tourism to resume its upward trend." The Director General of the Office for Domestic Tourism Development of the country also referred to the global capacities of Semnan Province and said: "Qaleh Bala tourist destination village is one of the candidates for global registration from the country, which has the highest score among the villages of Iran." He emphasized: "The file for this village is being finalized with the presence of one of the best teams." Subsequently, Meysam Jomaei, a member of the Semnan Provincial Chamber of Commerce, also spoke at this meeting, emphasizing the role of the private sector and said: "The Chamber of Commerce is the home of associations, and we welcome private sector guilds and organizations, and we are considered the parliament of the private sector." The member of the Semnan Provincial Chamber of Commerce, referring to the activities of the Chamber of Commerce in the field of tourism and handicrafts, stated: "The training department of the Chamber of Commerce is active in various fields with the presence of prominent professors, because training before and during work, especially in the field of tourism and handicrafts, can solve many problems, and the use of science and education should be considered more than ever." Hamid Dehrouyeh, Deputy Coordinator of Economic Affairs of Semnan Governorate, also emphasized at this meeting the government's support for activists in the tourism and handicrafts sector and said: "In Semnan Province, we fully support tourism and handicrafts activists." The Deputy Coordinator of Economic Affairs of Semnan Governorate added: "We have asked the General Directorate of Cultural Heritage to identify the problems of this sector so that we can take action to resolve them as much as possible in the facilitation headquarters." He emphasized: "We are resolutely pursuing the attraction of investors in the tourism sector and will deal severely with unauthorized accommodations to prevent their negative economic and social consequences." Dehrouyeh noted: "In some cases, accommodations under the control of executive bodies have also been transferred to the private sector." The Deputy Coordinator of Economic Affairs of Semnan Governorate further stated, referring to the importance of special attention to ecotourism, that "We are ready to hold a worthy national program on May 11th, Ecotourism Day, with the support of the Ministry of Cultural Heritage, Tourism, and Handicrafts, the Chamber of Commerce, and the Semnan Governorate, to better introduce the capacities of ecotourism and double the motivation of the activists in this field." At the end of this meeting, the attendees emphasized strengthening cooperation between the government and the private sector, gradual delegation of authorities to associations, development of specialized training, financial and facilitative support for ecotourism accommodations, and regulation of unauthorized accommodations as common priorities.