TEHRAN – Two hotels in Mazandaran province have been awarded the Iran Green Hotel Award as part of the country’s first national event recognizing environmentally sustainable accommodation, provincial officials said on Sunday.

The announcement coincided with World Tourism Day, when the results of the inaugural Green Hotel Award were made public.

Mehdi Es’haqi, deputy director of tourism at the Mazandaran Department of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts, said that 12 hotels across Iran received the award after evaluation.

“Out of about 60 hotels that met the criteria, 12 were finally selected by a panel of seven judges and verified by two national assessors. Mazandaran’s share was two hotels: Araz Hotel in Nowshahr and Mizban Hotel in Babolsar,”Es’haqi said.

He added that the award was organized in cooperation with the Ministry of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts, the Iranian Hoteliers’ Society, and the National Ecotourism Committee. The program aims to recognize and support hotels committed to environmental standards.

The official underlined that the initiative is intended to promote sustainable tourism, strengthen environmental awareness, and encourage hotels to meet ecological requirements.

The picture-perfect province has long been a highly popular destination for domestic travelers. Its varied nature features the lush Hyrcanian forests, plains, prairies, and rainforests stretching from the sandy beaches of the Caspian Sea to the rugged and snowcapped Alborz sierra, including Mount Damavand and Alam-Kuh (Mount Alam). More than 800 registered historical and cultural sites, 338 km of shoreline, mineral springs in jungles and mountains, waterfalls, and caves are among the major tourist attractions in the province.

AM