Minister: Iran has taken significant measures to transition to green tourism

Salehi Amiri was speaking at the first meeting of Tourism Ministers on Climate Actions, held during the COP 29 conference in Baku.

He added that in recent years, the issue of sustainability and climate change has been seriously raised in tourism, and the growing importance of the leisure industry at the international level in light of the rising number of tourists reminds everyone of the need to put in place a new model for sustainable development.

The minister of cultural heritage, tourism and handicrafts underlined that tourism is one of the biggest consumers of energy when it comes to transportation and facilities created in tourist destinations, adding that the development of tourism will play a significant role in increasing the production of greenhouse gases and pollutants.

“Hence, it reminds us of the importance of using renewable energy in the short term”, he said.

Salehi Amiri further noted that any major change at the international level requires  relentless efforts towards peace and respect for the basic rights of all human beings to enjoy a green earth.

In the year that the World Tourism Organization has rightly named “the year of tourism and peace”, he maintained, I , on behalf of the government and people of Iran, sympathize with the oppressed people of Gaza and Lebanon.

Salehi Amiri then emphasized that the minimum expectation from the international community is that world countries take a firm stance and condemn the war crimes and genocide in Gaza by the Zionist regime.