A sisterhood relationship agreement was signed between five desert cities of Iran late last week, in an effort to strengthen ties and open new pathways to tourism development, said a senior official at Iran's Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism Organization. According to Masoumeh Davoudian, head of Damghan's office of ICHHTO in Semnan Province, the signing ceremony which was attended by a number of heritage officials coming from nearby cities, was bolstered with the establishment of a joint tourism group for Iran's desert cities, ISNA reported.
"After long debates, Damghan in Semnan, Zarand in Kerman, Bajestan in South Khorasan, Zehak in Sistan-Baluchestan and Bafq in Yazd province were tied together as sister cities for the first time in the country," Davoudian said.
The very first example of such a sisterhood agreement was the historical Entente Cordiale, a series of agreements signed in 1904 between the UK and the French Republic, which saw a significant improvement in Anglo-French relations.
Beyond the immediate concerns of colonial expansion addressed by the agreement, the signing of the Entente Cordiale marked the end of almost a thousand years of intermittent conflict between the two states and their predecessors.
The present agreement among Iranian cities that share ecological qualities aims to extend their ties and help them exchange their experiences, implement joint cultural projects as well as duplicate successful efforts in a bid to oil the wheels of local tourism industry.
Deal's Details
The accord, Davoudian said, involves plans to facilitate affordable and quality trips, construct new roads between target cities, share experiences of attracting investors and promote local tour companies.
Furthermore, the joint tourism group for Iran's desert cities was launched with the purpose of efficiently using the authority of the cities' administrative offices and their representatives in the Parliament to formulated integrated tourism policies.
"It will also help the launch of a touring route and a tourist train line passing through the targeted cities," she noted.
The vast deserts of central Iran offer a wide variety of opportunities to tourists who will be able to experience new adventures and enjoy the serenity and tranquility of the pristine landscapes. Deserts could become the centerpiece for tourism development around which hotels, restaurants, business districts and tourist service centers can boom.
