Unveiling of the country's first official accreditation in wellness tourism destinations

The first official accreditation in health tourism with the joint cooperation of the Higher Skilled School of Tourism and Hospitality Specialists of Iran, Islamic Azad University, Tehran West Branch, and Trita Research Company, with the presence of Dr. Maryam Jalali, Deputy of Handicrafts and Traditional Arts of the Ministry of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts of the country, Dr. Mohsen Ranjbar The head of the Higher Technical School of Hospitality Tourism of the Islamic Azad University, Tehran West Branch, Dr. Mohammad Thabit Eqlidi, Director General of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts of Fars Province, Dr. Mohammad Farrokhzad, Deputy Director of Tourism and Pilgrimage Affairs of Fars Governorate, Mrs. Elham Lotfi, Managing Director of Trita Foundation Research Company, and a group of health tourism activists were unveiled at the 13th Pars Tourism Exhibition at Fars International Exhibitions. .

The CEO of Banyan Trita Research Company stated in the unveiling program: Wellness tourism is one of the sub-branches of health tourism based on the field of health, prevention and promotion and preservation of human health, and this style of tourism, or in other words, wellness tourism, tries to increase the duration of people's health. Because prevention of all kinds of diseases (physical-mental) is always better and easier and involves less psychological, economic and social costs than treatment issues.

In health tourism, we try to increase the beneficial effects and reduce the negative effects on health by taking advantage of the beneficial properties and parameters of the environment and understanding the physiology and psychology of man and the factors affecting his physical and mental health. Useful factors and implementation in our life path in order to promote a healthy lifestyle.

Dr. Ranjbar, the head of the Higher Vocational School of Hospitality Tourism, Islamic Azad University, Tehran West Branch, further added: Currently, health tourism in our country is operating in a limited way and only with a therapeutic approach, but with the conducted investigations, it can be acknowledged that attention is paid to the topic. Wellness & curative tourism can play a great role in diversifying the country's health tourism market, and this approach may be welcomed more than therapeutic and medical issues.

Referring to the unveiling of the first official accreditation in health tourism with the presence of officials in this exhibition, Dr. Ranjbar said: This accreditation, which was unveiled with the joint cooperation of the Higher Vocational School of Hospitality Tourism of the Islamic Azad University of Tehran West Branch and Trita Foundation Research Company, is for the first time In the country, in the field of wellness tourism, by identifying and introducing places with beneficial health properties and parameters (physical-mental) with developed indicators, it evaluates various tourism sectors, especially accommodation and hospitality units, and new destinations. In tourism, it introduces the style of Valencia to the international community.

The associate professor of Islamic Azad University stated: The destinations receiving this accreditation with added value in their services or environment are in the field of choice for domestic and international tourists who care about their physical and mental health.

   In the end, Ranjbar said: Before the evaluation of accommodation and reception centers, first, educational workshops will be held to justify and explain the importance of wellness tourism in order to promote the competitiveness of these centers and their branding based on compiled indicators, and then validation will take place.

It is worth mentioning that the 13th Pars Tourism Exhibition and the 14th National Handicrafts Exhibition were held in Fars province from 14th to 16th of January, and Mr. Naghizadeh, Director General of Supervision and Standardization of Tourism Facilities, and Dr. Ghasemi, Director General of Tourism Education, were also present at the booth of Pezhosh Banyan Company. Trita and Islamic Azad University of Tehran West branch visited.