TEHRAN – More than 7200 travelers were accommodated in hotels, hostels and guest houses across the western Iranian province of Ilam, which is trying its best to be marked on the country’s tourism map.

“Over 7200 domestic and foreign passengers stayed in hospitality units across Ilam province during the first three months of the [current Iranian calendar] year (started on March 21),” provincial tourism chief Abdolmalek Shanbehzadeh announced on Monday, CHTN reported. 

“Of the passengers, some 6500 were Iranian nationals and 700 came from overseas,” the official said.

There are 11 hotels, five motels, 63 guesthouses and 24 eco-lodged that are operational in Ilam, constituting 3200 beds for the hospitality sector of the province, he explained.

Representatives of Ilam province, along with fellows from nine other western provinces including Lorestan, Chaharmahal-Bakhtiari, Kohgiluyeh-Boyerahmad and Kermanshah, came together in June, exploring ways to expand tourism. The ten provinces are going to hold two-day follow-up conference in the near future.

Traditionally, Mazandaran, Gilan, Khorasan Razavi, Isfahan, Fars, Bushehr, Hormozgan, and Khuzestan are amongst most visited provinces during summertime, Noruz, or other break holidays, which results in heavy traffics and extra rise of costs.

Iran’s deputy chief of tourism Vali Teymouri, earlier in May, suggested that lesser-known travel destinations should be properly introduced to people in order to have a balanced domestic tourism.

AFM/MG