Temporary handicraft fairs, the biggest ever in terms of scale, are to be launched nationwide during the Norouz (the Iranian New Year) holidays, a senior official at Iran's Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism Organization said.
"The event, which is slated for March 18 to April 4, will be held simultaneously in 31 provinces, offering works of art by local artisans throughout the country," Pouya Mahmoudian, the director of ICHHTO's Trade and Exports Office, said.
This year's handicraft exhibitions will be held in 7,700 stalls, a record compared to previous events, CHTN reported.
Last year's exhibition was held in 7,200 pavilions, which was the largest event in the field, earning over 420 billion rials ($ 8.4 million) and registering a 32% growth compared to its previous year.
"We expect another noticeable hike in revenue this year," she said. Tours of art workshops and distribution of catalogues bearing information on different kinds of Iranian handmade artworks are among ICHHTO's other plans for the Norouz holidays.
According to Mahmoudian, 675 spots nationwide, based on the potentials of each province, will host the temporary shops.
"In last year's event, Gilan Province had the largest number of handicraft shops and set a record in customer numbers," she said.
More information on the number and venue of handicraft booths will be available on www.ichto.ir by March 6.
