With a view to expanding economic opportunities in the Islamic Republic of Iran, the Promoting Responsible Tourism for Heritage Protection and Sustainable Development in Iran project aims to improve the capacity of local developement actors to promote and manage responsible tourism as a resource for protecting cultural heritage, thus contributing to employment generation and suistainable developement.

Most importantly through raising public awareness (through exhibitions/fairs/ seminars) on the determinants and long term economic benefit of heritage protection and responsible tourism, this project will inform the community so that they can benefit from and promote responsible heritage tourism and also engage better in determining heritage (cultural, religious, natural) protection.

By building capacity amongst key local stakeholders, especially municipalities, NGOs, business associations and professionals, in four provinces of the Islamic Republic of Iran, to develop a participated Heritage Protection Strategy and Responsible Tourism Action Plan, this project will enhance the contribution of local cultural and religious heritage actors in managing sustainable tourism efficiently, responsibly, and sustainably based on the local community context and needs.

By training traditional and emerging tourism and heritage related professions and promoting exposure and knowledge-exchange amongst development actors in Iran and Italy, the project is expected to open new possibilities for collaboration at local and international levels.

Most noteworthy all the project is divided into 5 activities implemented in selected cities of the four provinces of Khorasan Razavi, Fars, Hormozgan and Bushehr.