TEHRAN – The number of travelers visiting Mazandaran province has decreased by 71 percent during the first half of the current Iranian calendar year (started March 21) in comparison with the same period last year over the lockdowns and travel limitations amid the coronavirus pandemic.

“A total of 18,214,360 overnight stays were recorded in Mazandaran during the first half of the year and the figure is related to official accommodation places across the province,” deputy provincial tourism chief Mehran Hassani said on Wednesday.

The virus outbreak has also significantly affected accommodations in private places and no foreign visitor visited Mazandaran during the six-month period as almost all inbound flights were halted…., the official noted. 

The sharp decrease in visits to Mazandaran has caused about 5.3 trillion rials (some $126 million at the official rate of 42,000 rials) of damage to accommodation units, catering centers, as well as recreational and entertainment complexes across the province, he explained.

Traditionally, over 30 million travelers tour Mazandaran within a year, who register over 90 million overnight stays, the official noted. 

Stretched along the Caspian Sea and Alborz mountain range, Mazandaran is a popular destination for domestic holidaymakers and it is home to more than 3,500 villages and rural areas, hosting millions of domestic night-stays in a year.

AFM/MG