TEHRAN –The northwestern Iranian city of Maku in West Azarbaijan province considers ways to boost sports tourism, a local official has said.

There are many opportunities for sports tourism to develop in this area, especially winter sports, Hossein Garusi explained on Saturday.

A lot of tourists visit Maku every year to do winter sports in the highlands because of the climatic conditions, demonstrating the region’s high capacity to develop sports tourism, the official added.

It is also a great opportunity for people to invest in Maku Free Zone since it has a number of historical and natural attractions, he noted.

Earlier this month, a huge winter festival was held in Maku aiming at promoting the cold region as a destination for winter tourists.

The festival featured skiing and climbing, building snowman, and tube riding among other activities.

Maku is located northwestern province of West Azarbaijan and enjoys a unique geographical and natural location.

In a valley that passes through which the Zangmar River divides Maku into two parts, the city is located 1294 meters above sea level.

The city is surrounded by the Qarasu River and Turkey from the north, the Aras River (the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic and Armenia) from the east, Khoy from the south, and Turkey from the west.

Due to the surrounding stony mountains, this city has a moderate climate in winter and a hotter climate in summer.

Mountainous landscapes, flourishing pastures, hot water springs, waterfalls, protected areas, and hunting grounds are some of the tourist attractions of this area.

Maku is located on the main Tabriz-Bazargan road and has an excellent strategic location.

Among the city’s most significant features is its role as the country’s only land border business and a link to Europe. As part of Maku’s economy, there is an industrial complex on the Maku-Bazargan road.

Maku people rely on cross-border trade, agriculture, and animal husbandry for their livelihood.

ABU/AM