Some 530 ecotourism schemes have been implemented since the current administration took office in 2013, the head of Iran's Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism Organization said.
During a ceremony to inaugurate four ecotourism projects in Mazandaran Province on April 11, Zahra Ahmadipour added that tourism projects, particularly ecotourism schemes, help create jobs and provide sustainable sources of income for locals.
According to the official, the four projects cost an estimated 1.4 trillion rials ($38 million), Mehr News Agency reported.
"About 274 eco-lodges have been built throughout the country since the beginning of 2016," she said.
The official noted that 35 four- and five-star hotels have been built since 2013, with another 20 under construction.
Iran has set itself an ambitious target of 20 million tourists a year by 2025, potentially generating $25 billion in revenue.
Ecotourism has been one of the main focuses of the present administration. In the past four years, the number of natural tourist sites in Iran has grown from 23 to over 320 at present.
In 2015, Iran's Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism Organization updated ecotourism regulations to promote the sector.
The government plans to increase the number of eco-lodges in Iran to 2,000 by the end of the sixth five-year economic development plan (2017-22). The lodging facilities will be located in 500 villages across the country.
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