TEHRAN – Berman Akraki, principal of the Department of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts, said 22 projects on the tourism and handicrafts sector have been launched statewide in government week (September 23-29).
He explained that 17 tourism projects and five craft projects will be opened in rural cities such as Shahroud, Garmsar, Domghan, Semnan, Mahdishahr and Sorkheh.
Pointing to the investments in these projects, he said that the total investments in these projects exceed 120 billion rials ($1.3 million), of which 915 billion rials are related to the tourism sector and 300 billion rials are related to the craft sector.
He noted that 158 jobs are in the tourism sector and 67 jobs, saying the project will generate 225 direct and indirect jobs in full.
These projects include ecotourism and the creation of traditional accommodations, traveler homes, roadside restaurants, traditional dining halls, agricultural tourism centres, handicraft stores, and specialized handicraft workshops such as pottery and ceramics.
Akhlaqi includes two projects including handicraft and ceramic workshops, including handicraft stores in Khandicraft village and Semnan, six projects in Sharraud, Agricultural Tourism Centre, Ecotourism Residence, Handicraft Store, 5 pottery and ceramic workshops in two pottery and ceramic workshops, two projects including Agricultural Tourism Residence, Handicraft Store, 2 and 4 projects including handicraft stores, four ecotourism residences and wooden workshops, two ecotourism residences in Mahadishaal, the first ecotourism residence in Jovin’s Tourist Target Village and two ecotourism residences in Sufiabad village in Sulfiabad.
He added that the projects will not only develop tourism and craft infrastructure in the state, but will also make a significant contribution to local economic prosperity, increase sustainable employment and attract domestic and international tourists.
In 2022, Iran chose Semnan to represent the country in a union of cities on the Silk Road, based on an initiative launched by China to promote tourism along the ancient route that once linked Asia to the Western world.
The ancient Silk Road has existed for thousands of years, passing through empires, kingdoms, rule and society throughout history. At certain times in its long history, traders were free to travel along these routes, but travel was difficult or dangerous for others.
According to UNESCO, the Silk Road enriched the countries it passed through, transporting cultural, religious, linguistic and material goods to European, Asian and African societies, connecting them all together with a common thread of cultural heritage and multiple identities.
KD