All the provinces will have handicraft booths to facilitate access to souvenirs by both domestic and foreign tourists, said the director general of Handicrafts' Export Office at Iran's Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism Organization (ICHHTO).

Pouya Mahmoudian further said that 16 handicraft booths were inaugurated in women's park during the visit to Zanjan by the Head of ICHHTO Zahra Ahmadipour.

Three other booths will also be inaugurated shortly in Kermanshah, west of Iran, she noted.

Mahmoudian said: "Our goal is to set up such booths in tourism regions as well as cultural heritage sites in the first phase and establish them in other cities in the second phase."

The booths should have a common symbol ― logo of ICHHTO ― to make them more reliable for potential customers, she added.

About 5.2 million people are involved in 250 fields of the handicraft industry such as such as carpet and kilim weaving, glass making, pottery and traditional ornaments.

Experts say the elegance of manmade goods produced in Iran and the availability of raw materials are among the attractions of the sector.

The appetite of European and US collectors for Iranian handicrafts is yet another factor.

Inlaid work, kilim and carpets constitute the bulk of handicraft exports from Iran.

Iran, China and India are the three top countries in the production and exports of handicrafts.

International organizations believe Iran has the most diverse and highest quality handicrafts in the world.

Currently, China's handicraft production is greater than Iran's, but the diversity and quality are higher in Iran.

Studies have confirmed that Iran is the birthplace of various handicrafts like carpet, metal works, pottery and ceramics.

Currently, these exquisite Iranian works are displayed in museums and art centers of the world.

Although Iranian handicrafts are on top of the line, suitable schemes are needed to enter new markets and publicize handicrafts worldwide.

In fact, handicraft can serve as a mechanism for promoting Iranian and Islamic culture worldwide.

Isfahan is the capital of Iran's handicraft industry and is home to two-third of Iran's handicraft diversity and one-third of the world's handicrafts.