A total of 15 billion rials ($454,000) were allocated to Golestan Province to help develop its tourism, cultural heritage deputy of Golestan’s Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism Department, Hamid Omrani Rakavandi, said. A large portion of the budget—roughly 11.7 billion rials ($354,000)—will be used to buy and renovate Mehrayeen Caravanserai. There are plans to turn the caravanserai into a permanent handicraft bazaar, Mehr News Agency reported. There are also plans to revamp Khosh-Yeylaq Palace in Azadshahr as well as the historical house of Baqeri in the provincial capital Gorgan. The government has been taking steps to develop tourism nationwide by allocating funds.
