TEHRAN – The international event “Sari 2022” provides important opportunities for Mazandaran province in terms of economy, politics, and the social scene, Sari’s governor has said. 

“Citizens, government officials, and the private sector must work together to make the most of the opportunities created by the even”, IRNA quoted Mohammad-Ali Nobakht as saying on Sunday.

Because tourism can be an effective factor in the field of social development, this event can be quite beneficial in various ways for the development of Mazandaran province, the official added.

“Sari 2022” is planned to be inaugurated by the end of the current Iranian month of Ordibehesht (May 21). 

The opening ceremony will be attended by Iran’s Cultural Heritage, Tourism, and Handicrafts Minister Ezzatollah Zarghami as well as several ministers and representatives from the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO). 

Back in February, Mazandaran’s tourism chief announced that the successful organization of the international event is of high importance for the country, and Mazandaran in particular.

“The province must introduce the capacities of the region in the international arena, with the participation of all institutions, especially the honorable people of Mazandaran.”

Iranian cities of Sari, the capital of Mazandaran province, and Ardabil, the capital of Ardabil province, were selected in 2019 as the cultural capitals for the Economic Cooperation Organization for 2022 and 2023 respectively.

Sari was selected as the tourism capital of ECO during the 3rd ECO Ministerial Meeting on Tourism, preceded by the 5th High-Level Experts Group (HLEG) on tourism, which was held on October 3-4, 2019, in Khujand, Tajikistan.

“Sari 2022” is considered the best opportunity for cooperation between Iran and ECO member states and, given this opportunity, all potential can be used for the prosperity and branding in the field of tourism and economy.

Local officials believe Mazandaran, which is a top destination for domestic travelers, can be turned into a destination for foreign travelers as well through careful planning.

Sandwiched between the towering Alborz mountain range and the Caspian Sea, Mazandaran has a rich yet turbulent history. An early civilization flourished at the beginning of the first millennium BC in Mazandaran (Tabarestan).

Its insecure eastern and southeastern borders were crossed by Mongol invaders in the 13th and 14th centuries. Cossacks attacked the region in 1668 but were repulsed. It was ceded to the Russian Empire by a treaty in 1723, but the Russians were never secure in their occupation. The area was restored to Iran under the Qajar dynasty.

The northern section of the region consists of lowland alongside the Caspian and upland along the northern slopes of the Alborz Mountains. Marshy backlands dominate the coastal plain, and extensive gravel fans fringe the mountains. The climate is permanently subtropical and humid, with very hot summers.

ECO is an intergovernmental regional organization encompassing countries from Europe, Caucuses and Central Asia, Middle East and South Asia with more than 460 million inhabitants and over 8 million square kilometers connecting Russia to the Persian Gulf and China to Europe. According to the organization, its overall objective is to materialize the sustainable economic development of its member states and the region as a whole.

ABU/AFM