TEHRAN – Some 70 non-governmental organizations are currently active in various tourism-related fields across Iran, the deputy minister of sports and youth said on Wednesday.

Such NGOs which are associated with the national youth center can cater for the tourism and hospitality sectors, particularly if being coordinated, Mehr quoted Mohammad Mehdi Tondgouyan as saying.

This measure helps foreign tourists to have access to a network of eco-lodges that are active in all provinces, he added.

The network, when fully developed, could be at the disposal of the Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism Organization in order to help domestic and foreign travelers, he explained. 

The country has launched extensive plans to bolster its tourism sector. Under the 2025 Tourism Vision Plan, the country is expecting to increase the number of tourism arrivals from 4.8 million in 2014 to 20 million.

PHOTO: Foreign travelers pose for a photo during their visit to the UNESCO-registered Persepolis, in southern Iran.

AFM/MQ/MG