TEHRAN – Hot mineral springs in the west of the northern province of Mazandaran hold the potential to develop the tourism industry in the region, the deputy provincial tourism chief has said.

The prosperity of these natural attractions could boost health tourism as well as water tourism in this area, IRNA quoted Mehran Hassani as saying on Wednesday.

In order to accomplish this goal, private investors must be encouraged to invest in these hot springs, the official added.

These hot springs, however, are currently managed in an old-fashioned way that is least tourist-friendly, he noted.

With these hot springs and the unique topography of the area, the beautiful landscape overlooking the UNESCO-registered Hyrcanian Forest and numerous natural monuments, the region can attract foreign and domestic tourists at all times, especially in winter and autumn, he mentioned.

Throughout the year, Mazandaran hosts millions of tourists from all parts of the country due to its many natural sights, such as the forest and the sea.

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.

ABU/AM