TEHRAN – The construction of an extensive fairground is expected to beef up tourism and the local economy in Alborz province, which borders the Iranian capital Tehran.

“The existence of an exhibition site was a priority for Alborz province aimed to expand event-oriented tourism,” the deputy provincial tourism chief said on Sunday.

The lack of a suitable exhibition site has long been a problem here for holding major festivals and tourism events, Shahram Alimohammadi said.

 “Holding various events and festivals will bring tourists to Alborz province and significantly increase the occupancy rate of hotels.”

 Elsewhere in his remarks, the official underlined the impact of tourism expenditure on economic development, adding the neighboring Tehran province constitutes about 70% of Alborz tourist arrivals, which is a great capacity even if its visitors skip overnight stays.

 “If tourists from other provinces prolong their stays, the rate of economic and tourism employment increases significantly as well.”

 He said the new fairground can be used to host major events dedicated to more than 3,500

industrial units active in Alborz province.

 In the end, the official recommended that holding festivals and events in the province should be purposeful, well-planned mostly on a national scale.”

Alborz is surrounded by the provinces of Mazandaran, Tehran, Markazi, and Qazvin. Historical resources and documents as well as archeological studies indicate that Alborz has a rich culture dating back to prehistoric times.

AFM