On April 26, 2023 the ECO Secretary General Ambassador Khusrav Noziri met with the Governor of the Ardabil province of Iran Mr. Seyed Hamed Ameli on the sidelines of the Proclamation of Ardabil as the ECO Tourism Capital for 2023 Ceremony.
The Secretary General while thanking the Ardabil province for their hospitality, congratulated the Governor for selection of Ardabil as the ECO Tourism Capital for 2023. Referring to the ECO Tourism Ministerial Meeting to be held in this city, he considered the event as another opportunity to strengthen the tourism potential of the province. The Secretary General highlighted that selection of tourism capitals is one of ECO’s initiatives that provides a special opportunity to the cities of ECO Member States to promote their tourism activities, and ECO will further introduce special programs to promote the rich tourism potential of the region.
Welcoming the Secretary General, the Governor Seyed Hamed Ameli highlighted some significant characteristics of Ardabil leading to its selection as the ECO Tourism Capital for 2023. Stressing that the Ardabil province is a rare collection of diverse tourist attractions with more than 11 registered tourism sites and more than 5 million domestic and foreign tourists annually, the Governor added that the province is interested in further cooperation with the ECO Member Countries during 2023 for the development of the tourism industry.
The meeting was held at the historical Sheikh Safi al-Din Khānegāh and Shrine Ensemble.
