TEHRAN – A massive ecolodge camp adjacent to Maranjab Desert will be completed by late November to fuel tourism boom in the popular destination that lies in Isfahan province, central Iran.

Isfahan province ranks first in the country in terms of its abundant eco-lodges that add up to over 2,000, ISNA quoted Mohsen Yarmohammadian, a senior provincial tourism official, as saying on Thursday.

“However, more side-section plans would be devised in order to expand tourism industry and exploit its untapped potentials,” the official added.

The government has given special attention to such hospitality services as a means of generating jobs and wealth for the local communities since the incumbent President Hassan Rouhani started his first term in 2013.

Currently, over 500 eco-lodges are dotted across Iran, showing a sharp increase since 2013 when the number stood at 30.

An entry to Maranjab desert can be found some 50 km north-east Aran-Bidgol or 61 km from Kashan. The desert and its surroundings embrace a Safavid-era mudbrick caravanserai, a salt lake, an ancient aqueduct, rich scenery as well as a long and enchanting history.

PHOTO: An undated photo depicts foreign travelers reveling in Maranjab desert in central Iran.

AFM/MG