TEHRAN- A total of 95 tourism-related projects are scheduled to be inaugurated across central Iranian provinces of Yazd and Isfahan on the occasion of the Government Week (August 24-30).

Some 55 projects in tourism and handicrafts sectors will come on stream in Isfahan province, provincial tourism chief Fereydoun Allahyari said on Wednesday.

In collaboration with the private sector and with a budget of 1.6 trillion rials (about $38 million), the mentioned projects will generate job opportunities for 400 people, the official added.

Mohammad Mirshamsi, a provincial tourism official in Yazd, also announced on Wednesday that 40 tourism-related projects will be inaugurated across the province.

A budget of 1.1 trillion rials (about $26 million) has been allocated to the projects, which will create 280 job opportunities, he noted.

The projects include eco-lodge unites, traditional restaurants, and accommodation centers.

Earlier this month, the tourism minister Ali-Asghar Mounesan said that the coronavirus pandemic should not bring traveling to a complete standstill. “Corona is a fact, but can the virus stop tourism? Certainly not. For us, the coronavirus is a new experience in dealing with crises that teaches tourism experts around the world how to deal with such a disaster, and thankfully governments are turning this into an opportunity for better planning.”

However, on Monday, he noted that Iran’s travel sector has suffered a loss of 12 trillion rials (some $2.85 billion at the official rate of 42,000 rials) since the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic,

Some experts expect Iran to achieve a tourism boom after coronavirus contained, believing its impact would be temporary and short-lived for a country that ranked the third fastest-growing tourism destination in 2019.

ABU/MG