A total of 46,372 foreign travelers toured Fars province during the first half of the current Iranian calendar year 1401 (started March 21), the provincial tourism chief has said.

Over 3.5 million domestic tourists also visited the southern province during the mentioned time, Seyyed Moayyed Mohsen-Nejad explained on Tuesday.

Back in July, deputy tourism minister Ali-Asghar Shalbafian announced that some 715,000 foreign travelers visited Iran during the first three months of the current Iranian calendar year.

“A total of 715,519 foreign travelers, mainly from Iraq, Turkey, Azerbaijan, Afghanistan, and Pakistan, visited Iran during the first three months of the current year.”

The official said over 1,957,000 international travelers, the majority of whom were from the neighboring countries, arrived in the country during the past [Iranian] year (1400).

Iran’s tourism industry has tremendously suffered from the international coronavirus restrictions, so the number of foreign arrivals in 1399 decreased by more than 94% in comparison to the year 1398, the official noted.

“The rise of arrivals from neighboring countries is expected to be a turning point in the country’s tourism trend during the post-coronavirus period,”

Iran’s tourism has experienced a boom in domestic tourism and numerous Iranian citizens traveling during the Persian new year holiday (Noruz), the increase in incoming tourists following the re-issuance of visas and the facilitation of the required conditions for tourists in post-coronavirus time, the official explained.

Last year, the Ministry of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts announced that tourism in the country was growing before the corona outbreak, its revenues reached $11.7 billion in 2019, which accounted for 2.8% of GDP, nearing the average share of tourism in the world GDP, which was 3.2 percent.

Iran was ranked as the second fastest-growing country in tourism based on data compiled by the World Tourism Organization.

Iran seeks to reap a bonanza from its numerous tourist spots such as bazaars, museums, mosques, bridges, bathhouses, madrasas, mausoleums, churches, towers, and mansions, of which 26 are inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage list. Under the 2025 Tourism Vision Plan, Iran aims to increase the number of tourist arrivals from 4.8 million in 2014 to 20 million in 2025. /T.T/

A team of Iranian inventors grabbed the gold medal at the 46th International Invention Show (INOVA 2022), which was held in Osijek, Croatia, on October 12-15.

The event was organized by the International Federation of Inventors’ Associations (IFIA) and the World Invention Intellectual Property Associations (WIIPA).

Some one thousand teams from 40 countries, including Germany, the United States, Japan, China, South Korea, Switzerland, Sweden, Norway, France, Singapore, Canada, Indonesia, and Iran participated in the INOVA competitions.

The Iranian team managed to win the gold medal in the category of advertising and tourism.

Iran ranks 11th in the world in the field of intellectual property, according to the World Intellectual Property Indicators 2021 report.

World Intellectual Property Indicators is an annual report published by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), providing a wide range of indicators covering the areas of intellectual property. It draws on data from national and regional IP offices, the WIPO, the World Bank, and UNESCO. The WIPO has published the reports annually since 2009.

Iran ranks 21st for the number of patent applications, 3rd for trademarks, and 12th for industrial designs, which include applications and devices with innovation.

The intellectual property index includes “trademarks”, “patents”, “industrial designs”, “plant species protection”, and, “geographical indications.

Iran ranks 21st for the number of patent applications, 3rd for trademarks, and 12th for industrial designs.

In 2021, Iran ranked third in the world with 541,750 trademark registrations, and due to the outbreak of the Coronavirus, the growth of trademarks has grown very well.

Iran ranks third in trademark registration and 11th in the world in the registration of industrial designs, with a total of three indicators; in terms of all three indicators of trademarks, patents, and industrial designs, placed 8th in the world, while China, the United States, Germany and Japan top the list, respectively.

Variations in the patenting activity across countries reflect differences in the size and structure of their economies. It is therefore informative to examine resident patent activity with regard to variables such as population, research and development spending, and gross domestic product (GDP).

Over the past year, in order to realize a resilient and knowledge-based economy, the Vice Presidency for Science and Technology has implemented a series of activities to further develop the ecosystem of innovation and technology in the country.

Over 7,000 knowledge-based and 1,600 creative companies have so far been registered and started operations.

Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei designated the current Iranian year (March 2022-March 2023) as “The Year of Production: Knowledge-Based and Job-Creating”. Strengthening knowledge-based companies are on the agenda, raising hope for reducing obstacles on the path to development.

In this regard, a strategic technology development headquarters was formed and 362,000 technological projects and 154 commercialization projects were supported, in addition to the inauguration of 23 national mega projects.

Moreover, in the field of innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem development, 65 creative houses and innovation centers, and 30 specialized accelerators have been established with the aim of empowering and strengthening the export capacity of knowledge-based, creative, and technological companies. /T.T/

Iranian woman, Razieh Jalili, won a gold medal in jewelry at the WorldSkills Competition 2022 held in Geneva, Switzerland.

WorldSkills Competition 2022 Special Edition is the official replacement for WorldSkills Shanghai 2022, canceled in May due to the pandemic.

Dozens of Iranian handicrafts have gained the UNESCO Seal of Excellence during the past couple of years.Some 62 skill competitions will be held over 12 weeks in 15 countries and regions between September to November 26.

Over 1,000 Competitors from 58 countries and regions participate in 62 skill competitions.

The 45th WorldSkills Competition in the field of jewelry was held in Geneva, with the participation of Iran, England, Australia, China, South Korea, Hong Kong, France, Switzerland, Portugal, India, Japan, Norway, Sweden, and the UAE.

Dozens of Iranian handicrafts have gained the UNESCO Seal of Excellence during the past couple of years and some 295 fields of handicrafts are currently practiced across Iran with more than two million people engaging, the majority of whom are women.

With 14 entries, Iran ranks first globally for the number of cities and villages registered by the World Crafts Council. /T.T/

Iran is the leading country in the region in all health indicators, including food security, Health Minister Bahram Einollahi announced at the World Food Day conference at the Iran University of Medical Sciences.

Last week, we attended the 69th session of the Regional Committee for the Eastern Mediterranean in Cairo, with the presence of 22 health ministers from 22 countries, where opinions were discussed and exchanged, and fortunately, Iran was leading in all health indicators by a long distance compared to other countries, he said.

Many infectious diseases that some countries in this region are involved with, such as tuberculosis and polio, have been almost eradicated in Iran, and in the meeting that was held about food, Iran had the best indicators compared to other countries in the region, he further stated.

For the development of health in society, it is necessary to pay attention to the health of food and air. The coronavirus epidemic showed how damaging a virus can be through air transmission, and in addition, food is a category that its side effects can be well prevented, he explained.

“We have various organizations, of which the Food and Drug Administration is one of the most important with sufficient legal powers and can monitor and follow up on people’s food safety and health,” he noted.

Teaching people a healthy lifestyle and what food to consume, and how much, is very important and prevents many diseases, he highlighted, adding, fortunately, all universities of medical sciences have a food and drug department, which is equipped with advanced and reference laboratories, and monitor and supervise food production in the best way.

Using the capacity of knowledge-based companies is one of our biggest advantages, and these companies should be able to invest and export their products to the country’s food industry.

Iran is able to take the lead in the export of medicine and food; Especially, the increase in exports leads to greater self-sufficiency and encourages people to produce better and more, he emphasized.

Unsafe food causes 200 diseases from mild illnesses to cancers, he further lamented.

Every year, about 600 million people in the world are harmed by contaminated and unsafe food, and this means that one out of every 10 people in the world is harmed by this issue.

He emphasized the important role of food in preventing non-communicable diseases and added that $110 billion are spent annually in the world to treat diseases caused by contaminated food.

World Food Day is observed annually on October 16 to highlight the millions of people worldwide who cannot afford a healthy diet and the need for regular access to nutritious food. The theme for 2022 is “Leave NO ONE behind”.

World Food Day 2022 is being marked in a year with multiple global challenges, including the COVID-19 pandemic, conflict, climate change, rising prices, and international tensions. All of this is affecting global food security.

It should be noted that food, like air and water, is one of the most basic needs of humans and all living creatures, and its role in the prevention and treatment of diseases is undeniable. /T.T/

Rasoul Motamedi of Iran claimed a gold medal at the 2022 Asian Weightlifting Championships.

He finished in first place in the 109kg category with a total of 397kg. Motamedi lifted 180kg in the snatch and 217kg in the clean and jerk.

The silver medal went to Bekdoolot Rasulbekov (KGZ) with 173kg-216kg-389kg, while Bing-Cheng Dong (TPE) took the bronze with 386kg.

The 2022 Asian Weightlifting Championships were held in Manama, Bahrain from Oct. 6 to 16. /T.T/

Iran is not only a leading country in addiction prevention but also in the treatment and rehabilitation of addicts, Robin Nandy, United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) representative in Iran has said.

He made the remarks on Tuesday at the opening ceremony of the first health and empowerment center for girls in Mashhad, Khorasan Razavi.

He also praised Iran’s determination in the fight against addiction in children and teenagers, especially in girls, IRNA reported.

Noting that cognitive and behavioral approaches can help empower and strengthen the resilience and skills of vulnerable teenagers and young people, he said that if these services are provided well, the quality and effectiveness of drug prevention, treatment, and care approaches increase.

In the past years, the United Nations Children’s Fund has provided support and various measures with the aim of developing and implementing family and school-based programs for the prevention of addiction.

$1.4m allocated to addiction treatment

A total of 410 billion rials (nearly $1.4 million) is proposed for the treatment of addiction and reduction of its social harm from the Health Insurance Organization’s share of the budget bill for the current calendar year which started on March 21.
In June, Alexander Fedulov, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) Representative in Iran Country, attached special importance to the regional and global role of Iran in the fight against narcotics and announced readiness to provide practical assistance to the country in this regard.
Iran holds the record for narcotics confiscation in the world, Eskandar Momeni, the director of anti-narcotics police headquarters said in December 2021.

However, great achievements in the field of countermeasures have been gained, and the United Nations has officially announced that 90 percent of opium, 70 percent of morphine, and 20 percent of world heroin have been discovered by Iran.
After the Islamic Revolution (in 1979), more than 3,800 were martyred and 12,000 were wounded or disabled in the fight against drug trafficking. /T.T/

This file photo shows a group of Iranian young adults visiting Hafezieh, the tomb of the Persian poet Hafez in his hometown Shiraz.

The 20th of Mehr on the Iranian calendar, which falls on October 12 this year, is celebrated annually as Hafez Day.

Hafez is most famous for his divan, and among the many partial English translations of this work are those by Gertrude Bell and H. Wilberforce Clarke. (Tehran Times/Bahman Vakhshour) /T.T/

A total of 94 tourism-related projects are currently underway across the southwestern Khuzestan province, the provincial tourism chief has said.

A budget of 41 trillion rials ($137 million) has been channeled into the projects, Mohammad Hossein Arastuzadeh explained on Wednesday.

The projects are estimated to generate over 420 job opportunities upon their completion, the official added.

Hotels, eco-lodge units, tourist complexes, and tourist camps are part of the under-construction projects, he noted.

Khuzestan is home to three UNESCO World Heritage sites of Susa, Tchogha Zanbil, and Shushtar Historical Hydraulic System, yet it is a region of raw beauty where its visitors could spend weeks exploring. The province is also a cradle for handicrafts and arts whose crafters inherited from their preceding generations.

Lying at the head of the Persian Gulf and bordering Iraq on the west, Khuzestan was settled about 6000 BC by a people with affinities to the Sumerians, who came from the Zagros Mountains region. Urban centers appeared there contemporaneously with the first cities in Mesopotamia in the 4th millennium. Khuzestan, according to Encyclopedia Britannica, came to constitute the heart of the Elamite kingdom, with Susa as its capital. / T.T/

The Chairman of the Iranian Parliament’s Economic Commission said that the country’s export capacity to Russia in the first six months of the current year registered a 70 percent growth.

Mohammad-Reza Pour-Ebrahimi said on Sunday that Iran’s export growth to Russia shows that a giant step has been taken in increasing bilateral cooperation in economic and trade fields.

Turning to the 2nd Caspian Economic Forum (CEF) held in Russia’s capital of Moscow on Friday as well as a new chapter of banking-trade ties between Iran and Russia, he noted that new capacities of cooperation have been provided between Iran and Russia given the drastic measures taken in a few months ago and change of economic relations between Russia and European countries.

Pour-Ebrahimi termed the joint cooperation between the Central Bank of Iran (CBI) and the Central Bank of Russia as well as agreements formed for trade exchanges between the two countries as a capacity to increase the level of economic relations between Iran and Russia.

The lawmaker pointed to the 70 percent increase in Iran’s export to Russia in the first half of the current year (from Mar. 21 to Sep. 22) and emphasized that giant steps have been taken by senior officials of the two countries in enhancing bilateral trade.

Bolstering economic cooperation between the two countries of Iran and Russia was emphasized at the 2nd Caspian Economic Forum, he said, adding that suitable opportunities have been provided for the country to expand trade and economic relations with other countries in the world. /MNA/