TEHRAN - Vacationers made about 47,200 overnight stays in the lesser-known Chaharmahal-Bakhtiari province during the first half of the current Iranian calendar year (started March 21).

“47,200 people made overnight stays during the first six months of the year at authorized accommodation centers such as hotels, traditional lodging houses, eco-lodge units, apartment hotels, guest houses, and other tourist centers,” the deputy provincial tourism said on Wednesday.

"Those passengers were accepted and accommodated in 140 hotels, apartment hotels, guesthouses, eco-lodges, guest houses, and accommodation complexes in compliance with social distancing and health protocols issued by the National Headquarters for Coronavirus Control," Farjam Samiei explained.

The [average] hotel occupancy rate was about 12 percent during the aforementioned period due to the COVID restrictions, he said.

Iran plans to resume tourist visas by next month after months of suspension amid strict government measures to prevent the spread of coronavirus, the tourism minister announced on September 27 concurrent with World Tourism Day.

Months of steep recession has taken its toll. Many travel insiders, hoteliers, and tour operators have faced big dilemmas such as bankruptcy, unemployment, debts, and the prospects of not being competitive on the international level.

An off-the-beaten-path tourist destination, Chaharmahal-Bakhtiari, is the birthplace of various unique traditions and rituals relative to the 'tribal' lifestyles. Special forms of music, dance, and clothing are noteworthy. It has considerable potential to become a vibrant tourist attraction because of its changing natural landscape.

The province is also a hub for making wool felt products, majorly of which exported abroad. It is home to some 500 crafters, in over 250 workshops, making handmade felt products.

AFM