The Minister of Tourism, Olga Kefalogianni, met with the Iranian Minister of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts, Seyed Reza Salehi Amiri, during his visit to Greece for the 9th Ministerial Meeting of the Forum of Ancient Civilizations.
The discussion focused on expanding tourism cooperation between the two countries, with emphasis on increasing arrivals from Iran, exchanging know-how, promoting destinations, and implementing targeted fam trips that will help create new partnerships between the tourism markets of Greece and Iran.
The Iranian Minister proposed updating the 1998 Memorandum of Cooperation, while the Greek Minister underlined the need for a more flexible and operational framework, suggesting the signing of a Joint Action Program to accelerate collaborative initiatives.
Mr. Salehi Amiri extended an invitation for Greece to participate in the Tehran International Tourism Exhibition (TITE) in February 2026, highlighting the strong growth of Irans tourism sector, the expansion of special forms of tourism, and the countrys 29 UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
The Minister of Tourism emphasized the shared historical and cultural foundations of the two nations, noting that Greece and Iran are among the worlds oldest civilizations and share the responsibility of protecting and showcasing their cultural heritage. She also stressed that the re-election of both countries to the Executive Council of the World Tourism Organization creates a new framework for cooperation at a multilateral level, especially in cultural tourism.
Mrs. Kefalogianni presented Greeces strategy for diversifying its tourism product and opening to new markets through the development of special forms of tourismcultural, gastronomic, wellness, and conference tourismwhich strengthen the countrys international position.
In closing, Mr. Salehi Amiri invited the Minister of Tourism to visit Iran to further enhance bilateral cooperation.
The meeting was also attended by the Ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Iran to Athens, Malek Hossein Givzad, and the President of the GNTO, Angeliki Varela.
