TEHRAN – Iran’s tourism minister Ali-Asghar Mounesan has honored tour guides as messengers of Iranian peace and friendship to the world, saying they play a very strategic role when it comes to assess quality of the tours and tourist satisfaction.
He made the remarks in a statement issued on Saturday to mark the International Tourist Guide Day, which is globally celebrated of February 21.
“I congratulate this day to the hard-working tour guides and operators who are true ambassadors and messengers of Iranian peace and friendship to the world.”
“Choosing a day for tourism guides on the global calendar determines what a valuable role the profession has in the tourism industry and among the world’s most important businesses,” CHTN quoted Mounesan as saying.
“In fact, tour guides play a very strategic and fundamental role in the quality of tours and tourist satisfaction. Yet, their expertise and their deeds determine the viability and continuity of tourism for a [local] community and also represents the characteristics of a culture to international travelers,” the minister explained.
Mounesan added that the occasion is more than just a symbolic reminder, saying “February 21 on the world calendar is not just a symbolic mention but underlines novel steps to be taken by tour guides to help societies develop.”
Initiated by the World Federation of Tourist Guide Associations, the International Tourist Guide Day is aimed to notify local citizens and travel industries to get to their professional tourist guides who are ambassadors to the world!
In 1990, Mrs. Titina Loizides, president of the WFTGA was involved when the occasion was held for the first time, 15 countries participated. Since then, tourist guides in an ever growing number of countries have been giving help to their local communities, conducting tours for disabled persons, disadvantaged persons, for children, industry partners, officials and the general public.