TEHRAN— Zanjan province is currently recognized as a symbol of the transformation in Iranian travel patterns; a transformation that can pave a new path for the development of modern and event-based tourism in the country.

The province witnessed a 171-percent growth in travel during the last Iranian year, becoming the second most popular non-overnight tourism destination, Miras Aria (CHTN) reported. 

According to the latest report published by the Research Center of Iranian parliament (Majlis) themed ‘Monitoring and Analysis of Domestic Tourism in the Spring Season of 2011 to 2024’, Zanjan province has the title of having the highest quantitative growth in travel in the country with a 171-percent increase in the number of domestic trips compared to 2020. 

This achievement has positioned Zanjan as one of the new engines of Iranian tourism growth and has focused attention on the province's new tourism potential.

Deputy Head of Zanjan Tourism Department Davoud Abian said: “While the number of trips to traditional destinations such as Isfahan, Yazd, and Kerman has decreased in the spring of 2024, the significant growth in trips to Zanjan province indicates a change in people's travel patterns from well-known destinations to less visited areas. Tourism experts see this trend as a sign of increasing importance of tourism events and diversification of tourism products, especially for the younger generation.”

 Zanjan province is among the destination provinces with the most trips in the spring of 2024 in both types of trips with and without overnight stays.

Abian stated that this remarkable growth has placed Zanjan among the top domestic tourism destinations, alongside provinces such as Gilan, Mazandaran, Isfahan, Fars, Tehran, Kermanshah, Khuzestan, Qazvin, and Khorasan Razavi. 

He noted that data analysis shows that one of the main factors in the growth of travel to Zanjan is its geographical proximity to the densely-populated province of Tehran, the desire of tourists to visit lesser-known cities, and holding of significant religious and cultural events in this province. 

According to the rankings, Zanjan is currently the third province in the country in terms of holding tourism events.

He stated that in addition to these factors, official advertising and content produced by users in cyberspace have played a prominent role in introducing new attractions in Zanjan province.

KD