Iranian vice president hails Turkey's tourism approach

By Narges Rezai and Ahmet Dursun

ISTANBUL (AA) - The Iranian vice president said Turkey's newly-opened Istanbul Airport was a result of the country's serious approach toward tourism.

Speaking to an Iranian daily on Tuesday, Ali Asghar Mounesan, who is also the head of Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism Organization, said Turkey is an attractive destination for foreign tourists while Iran has failed to implement a successful tourism policy.

"Our problem is that even if we build an airport, we do not have the appropriate tourism perspective to support it. Countries like Turkey and the United Arab Emirates are becoming successful countries, thanks to tourism, while tourism in Iran falls behind," Mounesan said.

Mounesan said the number of the Saudi visitors in Iran have declined, however, tourists from Turkey and Azerbaijan have increased.