TEHRAN – Over 270 job opportunities are estimated to be created by implementing eight tourism-related projects across the northwestern province of Ardabil by the end of the current Iranian calendar year (which ends in March 2023), the provincial tourism chief has said.

A budget of 6.6 trillion rials ($18 million) has been channeled into the projects, CHTN quoted Fereydoun Eini as saying on Tuesday.

The projects include hotels, tourist complexes, and a guest house, the official added.

Some 394 beds will also be added to the hospitality sector of the province upon the completion of the projects, he noted.

In 2019, Ardabil along with Sari, the capital of Mazandaran province, were selected as the cultural capitals of the Economic Cooperation Organization for 2022 and 2023, respectively.

Last April, the tourism authorities of the province announced that they have developed extensive plans to draw more tourists during the winter to the province and make it the winter tourism hub of the country.

Sprawling on a high, windswept plateau, Ardabil is well known for having abundant natural beauty, hospitable people, and its silk and carpet trade tradition. It is also home to the UNESCO-registered Sheikh Safi al-Din Khanegah and the Shrine Ensemble.

The province is freezing in winter and mild in summer, attracting thousands every year. The capital city of Ardabil is usually recorded as one of the coldest cities in the country in winter.

ABU/AM