TEHRAN - A nine-member group of German sightseers has commenced an excursion to southeastern Sistan-Baluchestan province, which is amongst Iran’s lesser-known destinations.

The group, composed of cultural people such as authors, teachers, and retired school managers, arrived in Zahedan (the capital city) on Saturday, deputy provincial tourism chief Mojtaba Mirhosseini said on Sunday, IRNA reported.

The first two days of the excursion is dedicated to northern parts of the province, while their itinerary will continue to southern parts, the official noted.  

Over the past couple of months, Sistan-Baluchestan has welcomed separate groups of Italian as well as French and British tourists visiting attractions in Zabol, Nimruz, and Hamun. They also set up an overnight camp in the [UNESCO-registered] Lut desert.

The vast province was long shunned by potential foreign and domestic travelers though it is home to several distinctive archaeological sites and natural attractions, including two UNESCO World Heritage sites, namely Shahr-e-Soukhteh (Burnt City) and Lut desert, parts of latter is situated in Kerman province.

For mainstream Iranians, the name of Sistan-Baluchestan conjures up stories of drought, desiccated wetlands, and dust storms. On the international scale foreigners may consider it a reminiscent of the big red blot on the Iran safety map.

AFM/MG