Over 1,800 tourism projects are currently underway across the country with an investment worth 430 trillion rials ($4.5 billion), heralding bright prospects for the industry, said the head of Iran’s Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism Organization.
During his visit to the southern province of Fars on Tuesday, Ali Asghar Mounesan emphasized that efforts are aimed at “completing over 1200 projects by the end of the current administration’s term [2021],” CHTN reported.
Focusing on the global image of the historically rich region, Mounesan noted, “With a share of 17 trillion rials ($179 million) of the total investment, Fars will enjoy 177 new facilities which will add 5600 beds to the province’s lodging capacity.”
Reportedly, Fars is already able to accommodate over 17,000 visitors.
Referring to the recent global inscription of the Sassanid archaeological landscape on the UNESCO’s list of World Heritage Sites, Mounesan stressed that the residents in the region should be the first to benefit from the upgrade in the status of the site.
He expressed hope that an agreement signed by three state bodies, namely ICHHTO, the Plan and Budget Organization and the National Development Fund of Iran, to create 157,000 jobs through tourism, will help promote sustainable employment among the residents near the Sassanid region.
Great Opportunity
In addition, Mounesan said 24 trillion rials ($253 million) in monetary aid supplied by the NDFI as part of a scheme to support sustainable employment in rural and nomadic areas in the form of low-interest loans to local residents is a great opportunity for them to engage in the industry.
Those who are interested can apply for loans to restore and prepare their houses to serve as guesthouses contributing to the development of lodging facilities in the province while generating income for locals.
“If local people actively take part in the plans, they will soon gain a sustainable source of income in the field of tourism,” the official added.
Reportedly, there are some 600 ecolodges throughout the country, which can be grown to over 2,000 units if the available capacity is efficiently utilized.
Shiraz has been inhabited by various peoples, including Aryans, Semites and Turks, each leaving a lasting imprint on the Iranian culture.
Fars Province boasts 3,000 national heritage sites, accounting for 9% of Iran’s historical sites. It is also home to a number of world heritage sites, including the ruins of Persepolis, the Achaemenid Empire’s capital Pasargadae and Eram Garden (inscribed along with seven other gardens grouped under “Persian Gardens”).
The latest global designation of the province was for the Sassanid Archaeological Landscape of Fars Region, which was inscribed in the UNESCO list on June 30.
