TEHRAN: A top Iranian official says the Islamic Republic exports $250 million worth of handicrafts each year. “At the moment, the country’s handicrafts exports have tripled, and even inside the country there is a growing interest in handicrafts given the measures adopted,” said Bahman Namvar, a top handicrafts official.
“The handicrafts of every country are the first representation of that country’s culture for tourists, and, hence, are very important,” he added, according to a Farsi report by the Mehr News Agency. He said roughly ten percent of the turnover in the country’s handicrafts sector is associated with exhibitions, which not only serve as a forum for economic activity, but also serve as an opportunity to make the public familiar with handicrafts. He said the handicrafts sector can bring in money and create jobs. “Official figures suggest the country’s handicrafts exports stand at $250 million annually. With just $1 million in the handicrafts sector, we can create ten times as many jobs as we can with one million petro-dollars,” he said. “Handicrafts have a very high added value, and this industry does not need contribution by foreign companies,” he said. He said Iran has the most diverse handicrafts in the world, adding, “We should use handicrafts in our homes to promote an Islamic-Iranian lifestyle. We should keep this culture and cultural diversity alive.”
