TEHRAN – A total of 212 job opportunities will be generated by implementing 46 tourism-related projects in Iran’s southeastern Sistan-Baluchestan province. 

The mentioned projects, 15 of which are being carried out by the private sector, could lead to sustainable employment once they come on stream, the deputy provincial tourism chief has said. 

The projects, which are underway in the north part of the province, include accommodation centers such as hotels and eco-lodge units as well as several tourist complexes, the official added.  

As the north part of the province, Sistan, is home to several historical sites and tourist attractions, developing its tourist infrastructure is one of the priorities of the province’s Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts Department, Mojtaba Mirhosseini announced on Sunday. 

Earlier this month, the provincial tourism chief Alireza Jalalzaei announced that the province has lost 1,440 billion rials ($34.2 million at the official exchange rate of 42,000 rials per dollar) in earnings from tourism as many potential visitors stay away due to the impact of the coronavirus. 

The official noted that Sistan-Baluchestan has set sights on [a significant] tourism development, and its travel infrastructure has been drastically extended over the past couple of years.

He also pointed to various tourism campaigns being launched over the past couple of years, adding the campaign ‘Let’s see Sistan, let’s hear Baluchestan’ has taken a noticeable impact on the tourism thrive of the province mainly by the means of on-line programs.

Last year, Cultural Heritage, Tourism, and Handicrafts Minister Ali-Asghar Mounesan said that the development of the travel industry across Sistan-Baluchestan province is among the top priorities for the ministry.

“I am interested in Sistan-Baluchestan, and the development of this province is a priority for this ministry and the government,” the minister stated.

“The majority of my travels during my tenure has been to Sistan-Baluchestan, which I consider it as a safe province with significant values in terms of culture, history, handicrafts, and tourism.”

The collective province -- Sistan in the north and Baluchestan in the south -- accounts for one of the driest regions of Iran with a slight increase in rainfall from east to west, and an obvious rise in humidity in the coastal regions. In ancient times, the region was a crossword of the Indus Valley and the Babylonian civilizations.

The province possesses special significance because of being located in a strategic and transit location, especially Chabahar which is the only ocean port in Iran and the best and easiest access route of the middle Asian countries to free waters.

The vast province is home to several distinctive archaeological sites and natural attractions, including two UNESCO World Heritage sites, namely Shahr-e-Soukhteh (Burnt City) and Lut desert.

ABU/AFM