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Azerbaijan participates in travel fair: OIC 1st Tourism Expo Inaugurated Officially |
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OIC 1st Tourism Expo Inaugurated OfficiallyIstanbul, 25 November 2005, CHN - Iran?s cultural heritage and tourism organization director, Esfandiar Rahim Mashayi, alongside OIC secretary general and Istanbul mayor inaugurated the 1st OIC tourism fair at Istanbul CNR Expo.The fair includes participants from 17 Islamic countries, including Iran, Lebanon, Palestine, Algeria, Azerbaijan, Morocco, Turkey, etc. Representatives from tour and travel agencies, air lines, hotels, resorts, and medical tourism centers are presenting their countries capabilities in tourism sector. The inauguration ceremony started this morning with a dance presentation from Azerbaijan, then another from Turkey which combined different dance forms from Sufi?s mystical dance of Sama to dances from different provinces of Turkey. Then CNR secretary, the general manager of Turkey travel association, the mayor of Istanbul, and Turkey?s undersecretary of state who talked in place of the country?s tourism and culture minister who was impeded from taking part in the ceremony due to a car accident, and finally the OIC secretary general, Ihsanoghlu, presented their speeches with regard to tourism. Then the ribbon to the expo hall was cut by Ihsanoghlu, Istanbul mayor and Iran?s cultural heritage and tourism organization director, Rahim Mashayi. The officials from delegations taking part in the COMCEC OIC meeting then took a tour of the exhibition, paying visits to different stands, Iran being one of the first. Following their entrance the sound of Azan, the Muslim call to prayer, filled the hall. Later on, a dance group from Iran?s Azarbaijan sang the country?s national song when the delegation from Iran passed the country?s stand. The group later on attracted visitors to the Iran section with their folklore dance presentation. In an interview with CHN, Rahim Mashayi announced that Iran is opening its doors for Turkish investment in Iran tourism sector. ?Iran supports Turkish investment in tourism and exchange of tourists with the country,? he added. Noting the high potentials of tourism exchange between Iran and Turkey, the vice president of Iran said, ?CNR is a great opportunity for Iran to learn tourism lessons from Turkey.? The Iranian delegation is planning to meet with state and private sector officials of the tourism industry of Turkey and other OIC member states during its stay in Istanbul. Considering the fact that OIC countries enjoy tourism resources worth some 120 billion dollars, the development of the industry can play a significant role in their social, cultural, political, and economic improvement, therefore bringing the issue under the attention of OIC high officials, urging the organization secretary general and other COMCEC participants to emphasize cooperation among OIC members in this regard. The 1st Tourism Fair of OIC countries is expected to attract some 20,000 visitors. |
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