TEHRAN- A group of Iranian tourism journalists visited attractions of the western Iranian province of Ilam on a familiarization tour, the province’s tourism chief has said. 

A one-day fam tour was held on Saturday, featuring a team of journalists from various news agencies, newspapers, and local publications in the Province, Farzad Sharifi explained. 

The event aimed to showcase the province's tourism potential and include visits to ongoing projects, he added.  

He also stated that this tour was organized in light of the approaching Nowruz celebrations, aligning with the province's travel services coordination committee's plans. 

He emphasized that the itinerary included visits to tourism projects within the city of Ilam, meetings with media representatives, and expressions of gratitude to the journalists involved in this initiative.

The primary objective of the tour was to enhance the media's understanding of Ilam province's tourism capabilities as representatives of public opinion, he noted. 

Sharifi stressed the importance of introducing the region and advancing tourism infrastructure while preserving the area's unique identity. 

He noted that both aspects must receive significant attention to foster sustainable development in Ilam's tourism sector.

Ilam is located on the foothills of the Zagros Mountains in the western region of Iran. Unlike The north and northwest part of this province which is mountainous, the west and southwest are flat. It is a suitable place for nomad life since the geographical conditions are favorable for summer and winter relocation.

The common handicrafts of this province include carpet, rug, drugget, felt, and coarse blanket weaving. The majority of the people in Ilam are Kurds, Laks, and Lurs, they speak in Laki, Kurdish, and Luri. Based on the archeological excavations in Ali Kosh ancient area, the civilization of this province dates back to New Stone Age circa 8000 BC.

The land which is called Ilam now was a part of the ancient Elamite civilization that was formed circa 3000 BC and was destroyed by Assyrian King Ashurbanipal in 640 BC.

Elam was an ancient pre-Iranian civilization centered in the far west and south-west of what is now modern-day Iran, stretching from the lowlands of what is now Khuzestan and Ilam provinces as well as a small part of southern Iraq.

SAB/