TEHRAN – Two eco-lodge units have been inaugurated in two different villages of Baft county, southern Kerman province, a local tourism official has said. 

A budget of 60 billion rials ($150,000) has been allocated to the projects, Ali Najafinejad explained on Tuesday. 

The eco-lodges are estimated to generate 10 direct job opportunities, the official added. 

Big and sprawling Kerman province is something of a cultural melting pot, blending various regional cultures over time. It is also home to rich tourist spots and historical sites including bazaars, mosques, caravanserais, and ruins of ancient urban areas.

The southern province is bounded by the provinces of Fars on the west, Yazd on the north, South Khorasan on the northeast, Sistan-Baluchestan on the east, and Hormozgan on the south. It includes the southern part of the central Iranian desert, the Dasht-e Lut.

Iran’s Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism Organization said in 2018 that 2,000 eco-lodges will be constructed across the country until 2021.

Experts say each eco-lodge unit generates jobs for seven to eight people on the average so that the scheme could create 160,000 jobs.

Having a very diverse natural setting, Iran offers varied excursions to nature lovers. Sightseers may live with a nomad or rural family or enjoy an independent stay. The country is home to abundant historical mansions, caravanserais, bathhouses, madrasas, and other massive monuments, which can buttress its budding tourism and hospitality sectors if managed appropriately and refurbished properly.

ABU/